108 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



say, never came up for discussion at our pleasant little meet- 

 ings, where facts, and not fancies, more usefully occupied our 

 time. The potent literary authority, Charles Maclaren, of the 

 Scotsman newspaper, classical antiquary and geologist, was 

 also added to our list of office-bearers ; and James Wilson of 

 Woodville, brother of the professor, a pleasant man and 

 writer alike on science and on sport ; also Alexander Eose, 

 the quiet, unobtrusive, but learned mineralogist and practical 

 geologist, who for many long years taught these sciences in 

 his well-known corner tenement, close by the University, 

 where he had for pupils many men who afterwards became 

 famous as geologists, mineralogists, and engineers. 



These have all passed away, but their services to science 

 and to humanity still abide. 



Among the living who did good service to us in by-past 

 years, or who stood in relation more or less close to "The 

 Physical," I shall only name as old Presidents and other 

 office-bearers, Andrew Murray, a distinguished naturalist, and 

 author of several works in various branches, especially in 

 Entomology ; Dr W. H. Lowe, an entomologist — both now 

 living in the neighbourhood of London ; Dr J. H. Balfour, our 

 well-known Professor of Botany; Dr M. Forster Heddle, 

 Professor of Chemistry, University of St Andrews; Dr Cleland, 

 Professor of Anatomy, Queen's College, Galway ; David Page, 

 LL.D., Professor of Geology in the College of Science at 

 Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in connection with Durham University; 

 and Professor Turner, the accomplished anatomist, of our own 

 University. There are many other names I could mention, of 

 men who have done good work with us, but I have confined 

 myself principally to some of the old office-bearers of the 

 Society, who have now mostly left us. 



Looking back, then, on the men and the work done by 

 this Society for a series of years past, it has been almost 

 entirely one of observing and recording facts, and describing 

 structure, and exhibiting, with accompanying notes of more 

 or less interest, objects of rarity and specimens in all the 

 various departments of Natural History. With the occasional 

 exception, perhaps, of a passing reference in the opening 

 addresses of some of our later Presidents, I may almost 



