JET. 76.] SPEECH AT MANCHESTER. 807 



attend the meeting of the British Association, and he 

 and Mrs. Gray were guests of Professor Williamson ; 

 De Bary and M. de Saporta being also under the 

 same hospitable roof. It was an unusual assemblage 

 of botanists, and a very enjoyable occasion. 



Dr. Gray seconded Sir Henry Roscoe's address at 

 the opening of the meeting with this short speech : 



" For the very great honor of being called upon to 

 second the motion for a vote of thanks to your illus- 

 trious president, I am mainly indebted to that defer- 

 ence which is naturally accorded to advancing years ; 

 a deference which sometimes, as in the present case, 

 takes one unawares. 



" In looking over the list of Corresponding Mem- 

 bers of the British Association, I find myself, much 

 to my surprise, nearly, if not quite, the oldest sur- 

 vivor. 



" I recognize, therefore, a certain fitness, on this 

 score, in the call upon me to be the spokesman of 

 those, your brethren from other lands, who have been 

 invited to this auspicious gathering, and to the priv- 

 ilege of listening to the very thoughtful, well-timed, 

 and most instructive address of your president. 



" As guests, we desire, Mr. Mayor, heartily to 

 thank the City of Manchester and the officers of the 

 Association for inviting us ; we wish to thank you, 

 Sir Henry, for the gratification your address has 

 afforded us. 



" Convened at Manchester, and coming myself by 

 way of Liverpool, I would say, personally, that there 

 are two names which memory calls up from the dis- 

 tant past, with unusual distinctness, both names 

 familiar to this audience, and well-known over the 

 world, but which now rise to my mind in a very 



