72 Royal Society : — Anniversary Address of the President : 



Caucasian race the primary stem, from which all the others have 

 degenerated to the Mongol at one extremity, and the ^thiopic at 

 the other, interposing the American variety between the Caucasian 

 and the Mongol, and the Malay between the Caucasian and the 

 ^thiopic : it is difficult, however, to arrive at very correct general 

 conclusions on this very interesting subject, without reference to 

 those which are founded on the analogies of language, as has been 

 done by Cuvier and Prichard. 



It is quite impossible, within the short compass to which this 

 notice is necessarily confined, to convey more than a very general 

 impression of the vast variety of the labours of this distinguished 

 philosopher, "\^'e find him applying his knoAvledge of natural his- 

 tory in illustration of the arts and poetrj^ of antiquity*; he was 

 also one of the first naturalists who appreciated the importance 

 of a knowledge of fossils in determining the relative ages of the 

 strata of the earth f. He had cultivated archaeology and literary 

 history t from his earliest years with more than common interest and 

 zeal. There were, in fact, few departments of knowledge and litera- 

 ture, however remotely connected with the natural sciences, which 

 he has not illustrated by his writings : it was when thus travelling 

 into provinces of knowledge which were somewhat foreign to his 

 own, that he was accustomed to quote the adage of Seneca : " Soleo 

 et in aliena castra transire, noti tanquam transfuga, sed tanquaiii 

 cxploiator." 



Blumenbach had long been considered as the patriarch of the 

 University of Gottingen, and vvas allowed the full privileges attached 

 to his distinguished reputation, to the memory of his long services, 

 and to the respect due to his venerable old age ; he retained his 

 usual cheerfulness, his memory, and much of his ancient activity, 

 until nearly the close of his life. He died on the 22nd of January 

 last, in the 88th year of his age, a memorable proof that the tran- 

 quil pursuits of science and the gentle stimulus of constant though 

 not laborious employments are equally favourable to contentment of 

 mind and length of days. 



The name of the venerable Dr. Olbers, of Bremen, must be for 

 ever memorable in the annals of astronomy, as the discoverer of two 

 planets in oursystem. Hewas amemberof thatremarkableassociation 

 of twenty -four astronomers which the indefatigable Baron de Zach of 

 Gotha had formed towards the close of the last century, who under- 

 took the vigilant observation of as many zones of the heavens, with a 



* Specimen liistoriae naturalis, antiquse artis operibus illustratse eaque 

 vicissim illustrantis : 1803. Com. Acad. Gott., tom. xvi. 



Specimen historic naturalis ex auctoribus classicis, praesertim poetis, 

 illustratse eosque vicissim illustrantis: 1815. Com. recent. Acad. Gott., 

 tom. cxi. 



f Beitriige zur Naturgeschichte der Vorwelt : 1790. Specimen archaeo- 

 logice telluris terrarumque imprimis Hannoveranarum : 1801. Also Com- 

 ment. Acad. Gott., tom. xv. p. 132—156. Com. recent. Acad. Gott., tom. 

 cxi. pp. 3—24. 



\ His " Introductio in Historiam Medicinse Literariam," published in 

 1786, is a most instructive specimen of scientific bibliography. 



