Yol. 62.] ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS OF THE PRESIDENT. lix 



with the question of the permanency of ocean-barriers and con- 

 tinents, and the bearing of this on the past and present distribution 

 of animal life, can be described in no other terms than as ' epoch- 

 making/ Indian zoological provinces subsequently occupied much of 

 his attention, and in acknowledgment of the importance of his work 

 •on this subject Blanford in 1901 received from the Royal Society 

 the award of a Royal Medal. For ten years previous to his death, 

 Dr. Blanford filled the office of Treasurer to our Society. He 

 served twice for a period of two years on the Council of the Royal 

 Society (in 1891-93 and 1901-1903), and was a Vice-President of 

 the same body in 1892, 1901, and 1902. He also served on the 

 Councils of the Royal Geographical and Zoological Societies, of both 

 of which bodies he was a Yice-President. On four occasions he 

 has been a Yice-President of Geological Congresses ; and in 1884 he 

 was President of the Zoological Section of the British Association at 

 Montreal, on which occasion he received the degree of LL.D. from 

 McGill University. In the year previous to his death the dis- 

 tinction of the Companionship of the Order of the Indian Empire 

 was bestowed upon him. It should be added that Blanford was an 

 honorary member of many foreign scientific societies ; and also that 

 during the Sepoy Mutiny he served with what is now the Calcutta 

 Light Horse. 



In addition to his work on the distribution of Indian animals, 

 Blanford's time during his residence in England was largely 

 occupied with the ' Fauna of British India/ a work which owed 

 its inception entirely to his energy. Besides being editor of the 

 series, he wrote the volume on mammals and two of those on 

 birds, while at the time immediately preceding his death he was 

 engaged on the land-shells. Thoroughness and breadth of view are 

 distinctive of this and all his works, and his zoological writings 

 are specially characterized by the manner in which he endeavoured 

 to check the unnecessary multiplication of genera and species so 

 much favoured by modern specialists. Indeed, it was a favourite 

 saying of his that, in order to check such undue specialization, every 

 scientific man ought to be a master of at least two branches of 

 science. In connexion with his Indian Survey-work, special stress 

 must be laid on Blanford's correction of the age of the Gondwana 

 Series as deduced from the study of the land-flora. 



As a man, Blanford was a true friend and trustworthy counsellor 

 to all who enjoyed his full acquaintance. An innate shyness of 

 manner gave the impression to younger men that he was haughty 



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