PKOCEBDINGS, JULY. xli 



Wash immediately on taking out in clear water and well work it 

 with the hands occasionally when drying. 



Mr. F. Abbott read a short paper on a specimen of Sporobolus 

 virginicus, forwarded to Baron von Mueller, for the purpose of recording 

 the fact of its being indigenous to Tasmania. 



THE LATE MR. C. P. SPRENT. 



The Chairman alluded to the fact that since last meeting a vacancy 

 had been caused in the ranks of the Society, which had lost a very dis- 

 tinguished member in the late Mr. C. P. Sprent, Deputy Surveyor- 

 General, who had been stri;ck down by the prevailing epidemic. 

 Testimony had been borne to his valuable services as a public officer 

 in the Gcczette, but Mr. Sprent had been a prominent member of the 

 Society, and they would all retain in their minds the admirable paper 

 read by him very recently on the subject of the proposed Antarctic 

 expedition, which had already borne fruit in the steps being taken to 

 give effect to it. He was sure they all sympathised deeply with the 

 lamented gentleman's widow and her family, while the society had 

 lost a valuable member, not only in the fact of the valued contributions 

 he had made to its proceedings, but in the hopes given of future con- 

 tributions bad he been spared. 



The Hon. N. J. Brov/'N said he was not aware until a few minutes 

 previously that the matte which had just been so feelingly alluded to 

 by the chairman would come before the meeting ; but having beea 

 iu a position to know the late Mr. Sprent thoroughly well, and to 

 appreciate his high character in the public position he held, he did not 

 think he would be right in missing the opportunity afforded him by the 

 chairman of saying a few words such as had been indicated might be 

 said on such an occasion. The occasions were rare when subjects other 

 than those upon which their cold reasoning faculties were brought to 

 bear came before the Society, and when subjects such as this came up 

 in which emotions were stirred it was difficult to find expression in 

 fitting terms. He might be permitted to say it had always been a 

 matter of pride and satisfaction to him that he had been the means of 

 placing the late Mr. Sprent in the impsrtant office he held at the time 

 of his death. During his tenure of that office he (Mr. Brown had got 

 to know and value him, and almost to regard him as a brother. Mr. 

 Spreut's large and wide knowledge ; his high scientific acquirements — 

 acquirements which were won by unflagging industry ; his kindly heart, 

 high honourable character, and thorough honesty and integrity, formed 

 a combination of excellence rarely met with. The name of the late 

 Mr. C. P. Sprent was indelibly fixed in the records of this Society, 

 whilst that of his honoured father was placed on the records of the 

 colony, and his loss to this Society was very great indeed. His loss to 

 his family and friends, and he thought he could say, to the country, 

 would be well nigh irreparable, if not quite so. He thought he should 

 meet the views of those present, and many who were not present, if he 

 concluded his brief and imperfect remarks by moving, ''That a letter 

 of condolence be forwarded from ths Presidentand Council of this Society, 

 to the late Mr. Sprent's widow and mother." 



Mr. R. M. Johnston, who rose to support the motion, said he could 

 not trust himself to speak upon the matter, as he had lost one of his 

 dearest friends. 



Mr. Perrin also supported the motion, to enable him to state that 

 Baron Miieller had desired him to convey to the Fellows of this Society 

 his condolence at the loss they had sustained. 



The motion was carried, and the meeting then terminated. 



