pbesident's address. 199 



has sustained in the demise of our former President, and late 

 Vice-President, the Eev. G. C. Ahbes. I need not speak of his 

 genial manners and venerable appearance, so familiar, for so many- 

 years, to many, if not to all, of us. Beneath a somewhat eccen- 

 tric exterior there was the kindliest heart, a richly-stored mind, 

 sound intellectual judgment, and intense love of nature. Some 

 disappointment in early life had made our venerable friend some- 

 what different in some respects from other men, but his cordial 

 sympathy with our pursuits, his hearty welcome when we pene- 

 trated to his sylvan retreat at Cleadon, his unaffected pleasure 

 in conversation on any and every topic of natural history, never 

 varied. He loved, too, to recal old scenes and incidents in which 

 he had taken part ; his life at Cambridge, his travels in ]^orway, 

 his experiences of the road in old coaching days. One of the 

 former I think should be put on record. He was an under- 

 graduate of St. John's College, Cambridge, when the Princess 

 Charlotte died. That terrible blow to the nation's hopes diffused 

 universal grief. The national sorrow found vent in national 

 mourning. Up to that time, the young men of Cambridge had 

 never been allowed to lay aside the eighteenth century knee- 

 breeches. The blue coat boys of London are still doomed to 

 wear a similarly antiquated attire. By the resolution of om- la- 

 mented friend, however, the undergraduates of Cambridge were 

 delivered from the bondage full sixty years since. It came about 

 thus. The mourning, as I have said, was general. An edict 

 went forth at Cambridge, that undergraduates should appear in 

 trousers one term as mourning ; the next term to resume theii' 

 ordinary attire. The mourning trousers were duly worn; the 

 ordinary breeches were resumed by all but George Abbes. Hav- 

 ing experienced the pleasure and relief of the change of di-ess, 

 he was averse to return to the ancient style. The dons remon- 

 strated with him. He manifested obstinacy. They deprived 

 him of his term. He nevertheless stood out. The next term 

 came, and he still appeared in trousers. Again he was deprived 

 of his academical reckoning. But, as the term di'cw near its end, 

 other undergraduates, admiring his boldness, and stimulated by 

 his example, began to tread in his steps. The tliird term many 



