Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 14-1 



the 29 th of November last, for the purpose of a public ex])ression of the 

 high estimation in which he is held at this day by the lovers of every 

 branch of Natural History, — was eagerly adopted : and the Public 

 Dinner at Freemasons' Hall was attended by about 130 of the most 

 distinguished cultivators and patrons of Science; including most of 

 the officers of the Royal, Linnaean, Geological, Horticultural, and 

 Zoological Societies, the Rev. the Provost of Eton, and several of the 

 Professors of the Universities of Oxford, Cambridge, and London. 



Davies Gilbert, Esq. M.P., the much respected President of the 

 Royal Society, took the Chair, supported by His Grace the Duke of 

 Somerset, President of the Royal Institution, Lord Astley, and other 

 persons of distinction. 



In proposing " The Memory of Ray," the Chairman said that he 

 felt it to be his duty to express his sincere acknowledgements to the 

 company for the high honour they had done him in calling him to the 

 station he then so unworthily filled. He was aware that so gratifying 

 a compliment had been paid to him, solely on account of his occupying 

 the chair in which the too great kindness of the Fellows of the Royal 

 Society had placed him ; but he valued it the more from that re- 

 flection. That Society had been greatly honoured by having such a 

 distinction conferred upon it ; and he spoke the sentiments of every 

 member of the Royal Society, when he returned to the company 

 his sincere thanks on their behalf for this distinction. To take an 

 active part on such an occasion must be gratifying to every friend of 

 science and of virtue : but however much pleasure might be felt in 

 participating in the proceedings of that day, and doing honour to the 

 memory of a truly great man, still far more satisfaction must be 

 derived from a consideration of the good effects which such a meeting 

 must produce. Men who had done good service to their country, 

 whether in the field of science or elsewhere, were entitled to its 

 grateful remembrance ; the display of that remembrance was calcu- 

 lated to incite others to an honourable struggle for similar distinction; 

 and he was sure that when these proceedings should become known, 

 they would tend greatly to promote the cultivation of the science of 

 Natural History. On the merits of the illustrious man whose birth 

 they had met to commemorate, although any remark from him must 

 be unnecessary, he could not avoid saying a few words. The state of 

 science at the period in which Ray lived must be so well known to 

 those present, that it must be useless for him to refer to it, except to 

 remind them of the difficulties with which he hnd to contend. To 

 show the extent and importance of the labours of Ray, he would men- 

 tion some of the principal works which he had produced. Among 

 them were — Historia Plantarum Generalis ; Catalogus Plantarum 

 circa Cantabrigiam, &c., with Appendices ; Methodus Plantarum circa 

 Cantabrigian!, Sec. ; Catalogus Plantarum Angliae ct Insularum ad- 

 jaccntium ; Catalogus Stirpium in exteris rcgionibus observatorum ; 

 Synopsis Methodica Animalium Quadrupcdum, &c. ; Synopsis Me- 

 thodica Avium ctPiscium ; Methodus Insectorum ; Observations made 

 in a Journey through Part of the Low ("ountries, Germany, Italy, and 

 France, with a Catalogue of Plants, not natives of England — to which 



