78 Annals of the Philosophical Club 



Abbey, to which the Dean most willingly consented, and 

 the grave was made near that of Isaac Newton. Professor 

 Huxley spoke of the unanimous recognition of Darwin's 

 noble character and of the far-reaching importance of his 

 scientific work by leaders of the various sections of public 

 opinion, among whom were several representatives of the 

 leading schools of orthodox theology. 



PROFESSOR FRANCIS MAITLAND BALFOUR, a younger brother 

 of the Rt. Honble. A. J. Balfour, was born at Edinburgh on 

 November loth, 1857, and went from Harrow to Trinity College, 

 Cambridge. From an early age he had shown a love of Natural 

 Science, including geology, but, after coming under the inspiration 

 of Professor Michael Foster, was attracted to embryology, obtained 

 a high place in the Natural Science Tripos, and was elected a Fellow 

 of his College. He then followed up the subject, both in Cambridge 

 and at Dr. Dohrn's laboratory in Naples, especially in regard to the 

 elasmobranch fishes, and published in 1880, after some important 

 papers, his Vertebrate Embryology, " a work full of new light from 

 beginning to end." Elected F.R.S. in 1878, he received a Royal 

 Medal in 1881. Next spring he was appointed Professor of Animal 

 Morphology at Cambridge, went to the Alps in July, and started from 

 Courmayeur on the i8th to make an attempt with his guide Johann 

 Petrus on the Aiguille Blanche de Peuteret (13,478 feet). On the 

 morning of the 23rd their bodies were found at the foot of the Aiguille, 

 It was " a life too short for friendship not for fame." * 



On Nov. gth, Messrs. Willis, through an oversight, had 

 omitted to provide a dinner, so the Committee adjourned, 

 after selecting a candidate for priority of ballot, to fill the 

 vacancy caused by the lamented death of Professor F. M. 

 Balfour, and a quorum was not obtained till Jan. i8th, 1883, 

 when Professor Bonney was elected. He was born at 

 Rugeley on July 27th, 1833, the eldest son of the Rev. 

 Thomas Bonney, and has been entrusted with the interesting 

 task of compiling this volume. 



1883. At the Anniversary Meeting on April 30th, Dr. A. 

 Geikie was elected into the vacancy caused by the death 

 of Professor H. J. S. Smith, to which Professor Maskelyne 

 afterwards made a sympathetic reference, reading to the 



1 See Alpine Journal, vol. xi. pages 90, 101, 374. A cutting from a 

 newspaper, stating the little that was known about the disaster, is pasted 

 into the Minute Book. 



