MEMOIR OF WILLIAM YARRELL. XI 



Council of the Medico-Botanical Society, and hencefor- 

 ward his readiness to oblige, the clearness of his under- 

 standing, and his business habits, coming to be known, 

 his services in the management of the societies to which 

 he belonged were in constant requisition. " It was only 

 with reluctance, and in compliance with established 

 rules," says Professor Bell, " that his name was omitted 

 from the council lists of either the Linnean or Zoologi- 

 cal Societies." Of the latter he was occasionally Audi- 

 tor, for a time Secretary, and frequently one of its Vice- 

 Presidents. He was also a warm supporter, and for a 

 long time treasurer, of the Entomological Society. On 

 the death of Mr. Forster, in 1849, he was elected Trea- 

 surer of the Linnean Society, and continued to fill that 

 office and to be one of its Vice-Presidents until his 

 death. With respect to the Royal Society, the following 

 is the statement of Professor Bell, who was fully cog- 

 nizant of the circumstances : " Many years since, long 

 before the present plan of selecting a certain number of 

 candidates by the Council was adopted, Mr. Yarrell was 

 proposed as a Fellow, and his certificate signed and 

 suspended. At that time the Council had nothing what- 

 ever to do with the election nor with the recommenda- 

 tion of the candidates. Mr. Yarrell's scientific character 

 was not so well known and appreciated as it has since 

 become. A gentleman, long since deceased, who would 

 afterwards have gladly recalled the act, expressed some 

 objection to his being elected, and his certificate was, 

 from a feeling of delicacy on Mr. Yarrell's part, with- 

 drawn ; but subsequently, since the present system has 

 been in action, the writer of this notice, with the full 

 concurrence of many members of the Council, who were 

 most desirous of his election, drew up a certificate in his 

 favour, and obtained some signatures before he men- 



