362 



Anniversary Meeting, 



[Nov. 30, 



and preserve the animals thus obtained, in such a manner as to enable 

 their nature and affinities to be determined, under more favourable 

 conditions than those afforded by life on shipboard, on the return of the 

 vessel. 



In this way it was hoped by those who proposed the Expedition to the 

 Government, that a firmer foundation by far than any which formerly 

 existed would be laid for the physical geography of the ocean. 



The Fellows of the Royal Society hardly need to be reminded of the 

 manner in which those duties have been performed. Erom time to time, 

 in the space of the three years and a half during which the ' Challenger' 

 has cruised in every variety of climate, and circumnavigated the globe, 

 many long and interesting Eepa^ts, sent home by the Director and the 

 other officers of the Staff, have been laid before the Society by order of 

 the Lords of the Admiralty, have been printed in the ' Eroceedings,' and 

 afford solid evidence of the nature and value of the Avork that has been 

 done. 



We have records of serial temperatures and determinations of the sea- 

 bottom obtained at 354 stations, of the extraordinary fact of the occur- 

 rence of peroxide of manganese in masses over thousands of square 

 miles, of the final answer to the vexed question as to the habitation of 

 the Glohigerince (which contribute so largely to the existing processes of 

 rock-formation), of the general uniformity of the deep-sea faima all 

 over the world, together with many other new and interesting discoveries 

 which need not be enumerated. The collections which have been formed 

 are of unexampled value for their extent and the excellency of their 

 preservation. 



It may be truly said that no Expedition for scientific purposes ever 

 left the shores of any country better organized or more abundantly pro- 

 vided with all that would be required for its efficiency ; and it is no less 

 true that none has ever more completely fulfilled the purpose for which 

 it was organized. 



Under these circumstances the President and Council of the Eoval 

 Society have judged that the award of a Eoyal Medal to Sir Wyville 

 Thomson is a well-earned recognition of the great success which he and 

 the Scientific Staff of the ' Challenger,' under his direction, have rendered 

 to Science, and, at the same time, a fitting acknowledgment, on their 

 part, of the successful manner in which he has discharged the duty with 

 which, on their recommendation, the Government intrusted him. 



[The Medal was received by Sir Wyville Thomson.] 



The Statutes relating to the election of Council and Officers were then 

 read, and Mr. WoUaston Blake and Mr. C. Y. Walker having been, with 

 the consent of the Society, nominated Scrutators, the votes of the Eellows 

 present were collected, and the following were declared duly elected as 

 Council and Officers for the ensuing year : — 



