72 Anniversary Meeting, [Nov. 30, 



On the Foreign List. 



Pierre J. van Beneden. 



Joseph Louis Erangois Bertrand. 



Alfred Louis Olivier Des Cloizeaux. 



Hippolyte Louis Eizeau. 



Elias Magnus Fries. 



Jules Janssen. 

 August Kekule. 

 Gustav Eobert Kirchhoif. 

 Carl Ludwig. 



The President then addressed the Society as follows : — 



Gentlemen, 



The year that has elapsed since our last Anniversary has been a me- 

 morable one under both pleasurable and painful aspects: on the one 

 hand we have lost by death a greater number of and more illustrious 

 Eellows than during any year within our recollection ; ou the other, our 

 sphere of activity has been enlarged in various directions, so that, if it 

 has been the saddest, it has been also the most busy year known to any 

 of us. 



Our losses, numbering no less than thirty- two, include two most 

 eminent geologists, Sir Charles Lyell and Sir William Logan; two 

 physicists in the foremost rank, Sir Charles Wheats tone and the Rev. 

 Prof. Willis ; the most learned pharmacist of his day, Mr. D. Hanbury ; a 

 zoologist of great repute and long career of astonishing activity, Dr. J. E. 

 Gray ; together with three men of great eminence in letters, and one for 

 public services, The Eight Honourable Sir Edward Eyan, The Very 

 Eeverend Dean Hook, Sir John Gardner Wilkinson, and Admiral Sherard 

 Osborn. On the foreign list I have to record the names of two great 

 astronomers in Eriedrich W. A. Argelander, of Bonn, and Heinrich 

 Schwabe, of Dessau, and a distinguished geologist,! Jean Baptiste J. 

 D'Omalius d'Halloy, of Brussels. 



Eor evidences of our activity, I must refer to our publications and to 

 the number of papers read at our Meetings ; to the labours of the 

 Committees that have been employed on duties in connexion with Expedi- 

 tions, all more or less under the authority of Her Majesty's Govern- 

 ment, as the " Polar," the " Total Solar Eclipse," and the " Transit-of- 

 Venus " Expeditions, or in duties such as appertain more directly to the 

 business of the Society. 



On the recommendation of the Soiree Committee, in addition to the 

 annual Conversazione, two very successful Evening Eeceptions of a less 

 public character, to which the invitations were of necessity very limited, 

 were held in our Library. Their repetition during the present session will 

 no doubt be considered by the Committee, and if thought desirable, 

 will be recommended to the Council, who will, I am sure, heartily co- 

 operate with the Officers in any plan for promoting scientific reunions 

 appreciated by the Eellows. 



