64 



THE EOYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH AND THE NEILL MEDAL. 



At the opening meeting for session 1859-60, of the Eoyal Society, the Neill medal 

 and prize was presented, through Professor Balfour, to W. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., 

 P.L.S., for his " Memoir on the Spermogones and Pycnides of Filamentous, fruticulose 

 and folicaceous Lichens," read to the society during the last session. In addition to 

 awarding this prize, the society is expending a considerable sum of money, — probably 

 equal to six or eight times the value of the prize, — in publishing the memoir in question 

 in the forthcoming part of its " Transactions," (Vol. 22), and in relative illustrations, 

 executed by the author, which consist of twelve plates of between 400 and 500 

 drawings. 



The Neill prize was, by the the late Dr. Patrick Neill, of Canonmills, the eminent 

 botanist, placed in the hands of the Royal Society, to be awarded for distinction in 

 natural history ; and this year it was offered for " a paper of distinguished merit on a 

 subject of natural history, by a Scottish naturalist, presented to the society during three 

 years preceding 1st February, 1859 ; and, failing such paper, for a work or publication 

 by a distinguished Scottish naturalist, bearing date within five years of the time of 

 award." As might have been expected there was no lack of natural history papers pre- 

 sented to the society during the yeai-s in question, and therefore no lack of competitors 

 for this honour. In awarding all its prizes, the society is prepared to do the most 

 ample justice to the merits of the papers sent in, by availing itself of the assistance 

 of the most eminent authorities in every department of natural history, both 

 at home and abroad, who are called upon to examine and decide. The medal now 

 awarded contains on one side a profile of its founder, and on the obverse side the in- 

 scription, " Adjudged for eminence in Natural History, to Win. Lauder Lindsay, M.D., 

 by the Royal Society of Edinburgh." Lord Neaves, one of the vice-presidents of the 

 society, in the course of his long and able inaugural address, remarked, in regard to the 

 Neill prize : — " The Neill medal and prize, founded by our late member, Dr. Patrick 

 Neill, for the encouragement of the natural history studies, in which he took a life-long 

 interest, has been awarded by the council to Dr. Lauder Lindsay, a Scotchman, but 

 not a Fellow of this society, for a paper on the Lichens, showing immense labour and 

 research. This paper has been submitted to competent botanists for their opinion, and 

 the council have pleasure in stating that it has received their high approbation. It 

 will, therefore, not merely be rewarded by the Neill medal and prize, but it is 

 in the course of being printed at length in the ' Transactions,' and of being illustrated 

 by numerous plates, beautifully executed by the well-known artist, Mr. Tuffen West, 

 of London. The delay which Fellows of the society have experienced in receiving 

 their Fasciculus of Transactions arises from the wish of the council to include in it 

 this important contribution, which will very soon be completed." 



The Macdougall-Brisbane medal and prize, of the same society,— the only other one 

 awarded during the past year, — was conferred on the distinguished geologist, Sir 

 Roderick Murchison, at the meeting of the British Association, at Aberdeen, in 

 September last, " in consideration of his original, persevering, and successful exer- 

 tions to throw light upon the superposition and real age of vast geographical forma- 

 tions of extreme antiquity in the north-western Highlands." 



RECENT WORKS ON TECHNOLOGICAL SUBJECTS. 



Davison's " Geognosy of Gold Deposits in Australia," 8vo., cl. 

 Donaldson's " British Agriculture," imp. 8vo., cl. 

 Humble's '-Dictionary of Geology and Mineralogy," 8vo., cl. 

 Bennett's " Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia," 8vo., cl. 

 Mill's " Wine Guide," 18mo., cl. 



WORKS ANNOUNCED. 



British Fungology, by Rev. J. M. Berkeley, 8vo., cl. Loveli Reeve. 





