418 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



joined the British Association in the second year of its existence 

 in 1832, and at its Edinburgh meeting in 1834 read a valuable 

 Eeport upon the progress of Zoology. 



In November, 1892, the Council of the Linnean Society, 

 recognizing the fact that Mr. Blomefield had been a Fellow of 

 the Society for seventy years, caused an Address to be drawn up 

 and illuminated on vellum, which was numerously signed, and 

 forwarded by the Librarian for Mr. Blomefield's acceptance. It 

 was worded as follows : — 



" To the Rev. Leonard Blomefield, of Belmont, Bath, M.A., F.L.S. 



We the undersigned Fellows of the Linnean Society of London, 'on the 

 17th day of November, 1892, in General Meeting assembled, desire to 

 congratulate you, as " The Father of the Society," on the occasion of your 

 attaining the seventieth anniversary of your election, an event unprecedented 

 in the annals of this or perhaps of any other Society. We desire to record 

 our gratification on learning that, at the advanced age of ninety-two years, 

 you still retain a vivid interest in that branch of science of which during 

 an exceptionally long career, both by precept and example, you have been 

 so able an exponent, and we cordially express the hope that so worthy a 

 life may be long spared." 



Here followed a long list of signatures of those who were 

 present at the meeting, supplemented by the signatures of several 

 others who had been unable to attend. 



Mr. Blomefield's reply, addressed to the Librarian, was as 

 follows : — 



11 Belmont, Bath, 



Nov. 22, 1892. 

 " My dear Mr. Harting, 



Thank you very much for your letter received on Saturday, 

 and yet more for the very valuable congratulatory address from the 

 Members of the Linnean Society generally, which came safe to hand 

 yesterday evening. In respect to this last, I hardly know in what terms 

 to make any adequate reply, or therein to express what I feel in the way 

 of gratitude and thankfulness for so high a mark of esteem on the part 

 of the Society, with which I have had so little intercourse for a long 

 time back. 



" True it is that my connexion with the Society, so far as membership 

 goes, has now lasted for the long term of seventy years, longer perhaps 

 than in the case of any other member; but it grieves me to think how 

 little I have done personally for the interests of the Society, how trifling the 

 contributions I have formerly made to its publications. When 1 open and 



