ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS, 13 
Professor Lawson again, who filled the Presidential Chair in the 
department of Zoology and Botany at this same meeting, opened his 
address by observing that, “ Although the President has made 
eloquent allusion to the great loss which the whole scientific world 
has sustained in the death of our great countryman, Charles 
Darwin, still Iam sure I shall not be thought to be doing more 
than is my bounden duty if I, too, from this Chair, give some 
utterance to the deep sense of irretrievable loss which all we in 
this department must feel has fallen upon us. It was on this 
platform more than in any other place that the great battle of the 
doctrine of evolution, which is so intimately connected with Mr. 
Darwin’s name, was fought. It was on this platform that his 
friends and coadjutors, Mr. Alfred Wallace, Sir Joseph Hooker, 
Professor Huxley, and many others, expounded his views, and 
added by their own researches to the sum of evidence which has 
finally convinced all the leading scientists of the day of the sub- 
stantial soundness of his speculation. There are many of us now 
present who will never forget the intense interest and excitement 
which attended the discussions which took place in the earlier 
days of the history of the doctrine of evolution; nor shall we 
forget with what bitterness Mr. Darwin’s views were met on 
the occasion of the Association’s meetings at Oxford, Cambridge, 
Norwich, and Exeter, nor how everything that came from his 
pen was regarded with feelings of suspicion and hatred ; and how 
even his blameless and guileless character was frequently assailed 
by those who could only see in his works a desire to dethrone all 
that which they considered sacred. It is also in the recollection 
of all of us here how he met the attacks which were made upon 
him by silence, never returning opprobrious declamation or 
insulting sarcasm by angry or contemptuous answers. Ever 
conscious that his aim was to search out the truth and that only, 
he could afford to disregard contumely and misrepresentation. 
Indeed, so completely was he imbued by the consciousness that 
his aim was righteous, that the taunts and sneers which were 
lavished upon him seem to have been powerless even to vex 
him. Again, you in this department will remember how these 
