Vol. 50.] ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS OP THE PRESIDENT. 5 1 



the result of his life-work as a botanical collector. At the time of 

 his death Mr. Blomefield was the father of the Linnean Society, 

 having been a Fellow for over 70 years, and for nearly 59 years a 

 Fellow of this Society. He died at Bath on September 1st, 1893, 

 in his 94th year. 



Harry Macdonald Becher, A.R.S.M., was born at Simla in 1855, 

 and educated at private schools in England until he reached the age 

 of 13, when he was sent to Dresden. His education as a mining 

 engineer was commenced at Freiberg and completed at the Royal 

 School of Mines in Jermyn Street, where he became an Associate in 

 1875, and was the same year elected a Fellow of this Society. 

 Originally engaged by the Borneo Company, Mr. Becher spent 

 many years in the Malay Peninsula and other parts of the far East, 

 during which he visited China and Japan and even Siberia, reporting 

 on coal-deposits in those regions. In 1883 he returned to China 

 for the purpose of investigating the mineral resources of Korea, and 

 subsequently established the first Chinese gold-mine and quartz-mill 

 in Chantung. The Christmas of 1887 found him in the jungles of 

 North-eastern Siam reporting on gold-mines there, and in the 

 following year he was engaged at the Pahang gold-mines, near 

 Singapore. 



Mr. Becher several years ago contributed a note on some cupri- 

 ferous shales in the province of Hon-peh, China, to the Quarterly 

 Journal, and about a year ago he gave us a short paper on the gold- 

 quartz deposits of Pahang. He also read a paper on ' Mining in the 

 Malay Peninsula ' before the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy 

 when he was last in England. 



Shortly after his return to the East Mr. Becher was unfortunately 

 drowned in fording one of the Malayan rivers, the news being 

 received in England with the most profound regret by a large circle 

 of attached friends. This event took place on the 16th September, 

 1893, when he was only 38 years of age. 



John Spencer was born in the year 1821. He was by profession 

 a mining engineer, and about 25 years ago became a Fellow of this 

 Society. There is a short note of his in the Quarterly Journal on 

 Boulders found in Coal-seams, and on the evidence of Ice-action in 

 Carboniferous times. He resided at Manchester, and died there on 

 September 20th, 1893, at the age of 72. 



