Ixxx Trans. Acad. Set. of St. Louis. 



sophical Society have asked me, as a resident member, to 

 represent them at this semi-centennial gathering of the Acad- 

 emy of Science of St. Louis. I have, therefore, the honor 

 and pleasure, on behalf of these organizations, which stand 

 for what is noblest and best in American science, of heartily 

 congratulating The Academy of Science of St. Louis (the first 

 President of which was a member of both these bodies) on 

 the completion of its first half century; on the high ideals 

 that it has always upheld ; and on the solid additions that 

 have been made to knowledge by its members, a number of 

 whom have ranked among the foremost men of science of our 

 land. I am also desired to express to the Academy our hope 

 that the coming years may be even more prosperous with it 

 than the period now closed ; and our full confidence that, if 

 its ideals be maintained and its scientific activity continue un- 

 abated, those who, technically and commercially, owe much to 

 science and are able to do so, will come more and more to its 

 material succor, and that its usefulness will increase in in- 

 creasing ratio with the passage of the years. 



As a corresponding member of the American Academy of 

 Arts and Sciences and of the Boston Society of Natural His- 

 tory, I have been asked to tender similar congratulations, ex- 

 pressions of esteem and of appreciation of what the Academy 

 has already accomplished, and of confidence in its future. 



The Societe des Sciences Physiques et Naturelles of Bor- 

 deaux has honored the Missouri Botanical Garden with a re- 

 quest to act as its representative this evening, and, by direc- 

 tion of the President of the Board of Trustees of the Garden, 

 I am pleased, as its Director, to fulfil this honorable commis- 

 sion. I am also charged, as a member and past-president of 

 the Academic Interiaationale de Geographie Botanique, to 

 serve it in a similar manner. It gives me much pleasure to 

 tender the heartiest congratulations and good wishes of these 

 societies, the corporate home of which is in France. 



Finally, on behalf of the Missouri Botanical Garden, I de- 

 sire to renew all of these expressions of good will, and to say 

 further that the interest of the Garden in this occasion is a 

 double one, for the reason that we not only celebrate to-night 



