&T. 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 anenel assemblage 
of ig 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. 
“Tn 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. 
“T 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 ina very 
