ment. Many of his fellow-members were equally earnest ; 

 indeed it was hardly possible to come much into contact with 

 him without sharing his enthusiasm ; but of his colleagues on 

 the council at the time there was not one who had not either 

 business or professional engagements that had a first claim on 

 their time and thoughts ; Mr. Thompson himself being the only 

 member of the council possessing ample private means and 

 complete leisure. Both he placed freely at the disposal of his 

 fellow-members, and he formed a most useful connecting link 

 between the then still comparatively young provincial society 

 and the older and larger metropolitan societies, of England and 

 Scotland, as well as of this country. Our society lost no time 

 in taking steps to mark their sense of the loss they had sustained 

 in Mr. Thompson's removal, and of their determination to per- 

 petuate his memory. The erection of the " Thompson room," 

 to contain the collections bequeathed by him to the Museum, 

 was almost at once determined on and proceeded with, the 

 appeal of the council to the public for funds being so promptly 

 and liberally responded to that the room was completed by the 

 autumn of that same year — 1852 — when the meeting of the Brit- 

 ish Association was an event of considerable importance to us, 

 giving a stimulus to scientific pursuits, and imparting a prestige 

 to the society that continued for long after. 



The gentlemen who have held the office of president after 

 Mr. Thompson' decease were Mr. Patterson, from 1852 to 54, and 

 on three subsequent occasions ; Dr. Andrews, from 1854 to 56 ; 

 Dr.Stevelly,fromi856to58; Mr. Hyndman, from 185 8 to 60; Mr. 

 James MacAdam, from i860 to 61, but he died a few days after his 

 re-election in the latter year. Dr., now Sir C, Wyville Thomson 

 was our president from 1862 to 64, and again later ; Professor 

 James Thomson, from 1864 to 66 ; Mr. Joseph John Murphy, 

 from 1866 to 68, and again from 1 871 to 75. Mr. Murphy may 

 now be regarded as one of our older, and he certainly always has 

 been one of our most learned, useful, and energetic members. 

 We have also had Dr. Hodges ; and since then Mr. Robert 

 Young, than whom we have had no superior in any time ; 

 Professor Purser ; and, finally, the individual who now has the 



