( cxxix ) 



" Genete, 

 "31 Mars, 1876. 



" irOS"SIETrR LE SeCEe'iATBE, 



" Yous avez eu la bonte de m'amioncer par line lettre particuliere, 

 et ensuite officiellement, le 25 Mars, que 1' Academie Eoyale d'Irlande, 

 a daigne me nommer un de ses Memlres Honoraires. 



" J'ai vequ, en meme temps que la lettre officielle, le diplome con- 

 statant cette nomination a un titre rare et tres-eminent dans la science. 



" Permettez-moi de yous prier d'etre mon interprete aupres de 

 1' Academie Eoyale pour la remercier del'honneur qu'elle a Lien voulu 

 me faire, et 1' assurer du deyouement avec lequel je m'efforcerai de 

 cooperer ^ ses utiles trayaux si I'occasion s'en presente. 



''Agreez, Monsieur le Secretaire, I'assiu'ance de ma consideration 

 tres-distinguee. 



" AlPH. DE CAIiTDOLLE. 



"A Moj^'SiEm Peeceyal "S^'kight, 



" Secretaire de F Academie Rorjale cVIrJande." 



''5, CHETIfE-EOW, ChEISEA, 



''2Mhirarch, 1876, 



"SlE, 



"About a Yreek ago I receiyed tbe agreeable and most unexpected 

 announcement from you, tbat I bad been elected an Honorary Member 

 of the Eoyal .Irish. Academy, an Institution Trbich I liaye al'U'ays 

 much, respected. To this your official announcement, there was added 

 on another sheet some extremely kind words in your priyate capacity, 

 from which, also I deriyed great satisfaction, and beg to thank you 

 accordingly. By this morning's post there arriyed, accompanying 

 your second note, the Official Diploma, or Certificate, of my election ; 

 and it now only remains that I request you to express to the gentle- 

 men Members who have done me this conspicuous honour my gTateful 

 sense of their kindness, and my loyal feeling towards the Institution 

 of which I am henceforth a Member. 



"Some fiye-and-twenty years ago I passed a yeiy pleasant and 



