1884.] Treasurer s Address. 447 



hands of this Society. When it is borne in mind that the labours of 

 Sir Joseph Hooker and the late Mr. Bentham, upon the great work 

 the " Genera Plantarum," now so happily completed, have been 

 materially lightened by the skilful aid of Professor Oliver, there 

 will, I am sure, be a general feeling of satisfaction that this year his 

 name should also be added to the list of the recipients of the Royal 

 Medals, on which the distinguished names of the more immediate 

 authors of the work are already enrolled. 



The Bumford Medal has been awarded to Professor Tobias Robert 

 Thalen, of Upsala, for his spectroscopic researches ; his labours in 

 other fields of research, such as elasticity, magnetism, and meteorology, 

 lying outside the limits contemplated by the founder of this medal. 

 Partly in conjunction with Angstrom and partly by himself Professor 

 Thalen has produced accurate and elaborate maps, drawn according 

 to the natural scale of wave-lengths, of the spectra of a great number 

 of metals and metalloids. He has also made a careful determination 

 of the absorption-bands of iodine vapour, and of late has been engaged 

 on the difficult problem of determining and properly assigning the 

 spectral lines of bodies of the yttrium and cerium groups, the number 

 of which has recently been so largely augmented by discoveries of 

 new members of those groups, which as yet are only imperfectly 

 studied. 



The Davy Medal has been awarded to Professor Hermann Kolbe of 

 Leipzig for his researches in the isomerism of alcohols ; but sad to say, 

 though he was aware of the award, he has not lived to receive the 

 medal. While still occupied in his usual avocations, he died suddenly 

 on descending from his carriage at his own door less than a week ago. 

 During a period of upwards of forty years Professor Kolbe devoted 

 his principal attention to some of the most difficult and complicated 

 questions of organic chemistry, many of the important reactions in 

 which have been discovered through his researches. One remarkable 

 result of his study has been that he was able to predict the existence 

 of the chief groups of isomeric alcohols, and even to describe before- 

 hand their characteristic reactions. In one case, at least, his pro- 

 phecy may, in a certain sense, be said to have fulfilled itself, for it 

 has been by his own experimental evidence that its truth has been 

 confirmed. It may be some slight consolation to his family to think 

 on seeing this medal how highly Professor Kolbe's labours wer6 

 appreciated, even beyond the limits of his own conntry. 



The Statutes relating to the election of Council and Officers were 

 then read, and Dr. George Harley and Mr. R. H. Inglis Palgrave 

 having been, with the consent of the Society, nominated Scrutators, 

 the votes of the Fellows present were taken, and the following were 

 declared duly elected as Council and Officers for the ensuing year : 



