68 The American Mail Service. 



member of that Society so long ago as November, 1849, forty- 

 four years ago, and he was for a very short time a member when 

 the usefulness and industry of which he afterwards gave such 

 remarkable instances began to show themselves. He read his 

 first paper before he had been three years a member of the 

 Society. He was elected a member of the Council in 1852, and 

 he continued a member of the Council uninterruptedly from 

 then to the date of his death, last month — a period of over forty- 

 one years. During that time he was treasurer of the Society for 

 a considerable period. He was president on several occasions, 

 and he was one of the three trustees of whom he (Mr. Patterson) 

 regretted to say he was now the only survivor. The other was 

 Mr. William Bottomley, who was called away some years ago, 

 and now he had to regret the loss of his other colleague, Mr. 

 Joseph John Murphy. He had before him a list of papers which 

 Mr. Murphy dehvered from 1852 up to 1866, when he lost his 

 wife. His more immediate and active interest in the Society 

 ceased about this time — he meant his active interest in so far as 

 appearing at its public meetings was concerned, but his interest 

 in it as the invaluable editor of its proceedings continued 

 uninterrupted. With these observations, which he spoke under 

 very considerable feeling, he begged to submit the following 

 resolution to their consideration : — " That at this, their first 

 meeting since the lamented death of Mr. Joseph John Murphy, 

 one of the most eminent of our past presidents, the Belfast 

 Natural History and Philosophical Society desire to place on 

 record their deep sense of the loss the Society has sustained in 

 Mr. Murphy's removal from one of the many scenes of his long 

 and useful labours — one where his wide reading, his untiring 

 industry, his love of research, and his ever ready willingness to 

 impart information to others from the wealth of his well-stored 

 mind rendered him for over forty years one of the most valued 

 members. Of him it may truly be said that, while his kindliness 

 of disposition, his broad sympathies, his unostentatious generosity 

 and his many good qualities of head and heart endeared him to 

 to his family and numerous friends, his singlemindness, 



