1878.] 



President's Address. 



63 



to all future researches regarding the geographical distribution of 

 plants in the southern hemisphere, and the evolution therein of generic 

 and specific types, cannot be over estimated. 



The other great work is the " Flora Braziliensis," commenced by 

 our late Foreign Fellow, von Martius, and now ably carried on by 

 Eichler, of Berlin, assisted by coadjutors (among whom are most of 

 our leading systematists) under the liberal auspices of His Majesty the 

 Emperor of Brazil. When completed, this gigantic undertaking will 

 have embraced, in a systematic form, the vegetation of the richest 

 botanical region of the globe. 



Having now endeavoured to recall to you some of the great 

 advances in Science made during the last few years, it remains for me, 

 after the distribution of the Medals awarded by your Council, to 

 retire from the Presidency in which I have so long experienced the 

 generous support of your Officers and yourselves. This support, for 

 which I tender you my hearty thanks, together with my sense of the 

 trust and dignity of the office, and the interest attached to its duties, 

 make my resignation of it a more difficult step than I had anticipated. 

 My reasons are, however, strong. They are the pressure of official 

 duties at Kew, annually increasing in amount and responsibility, 

 together with the engagements I am under to complete scientific 

 works, undertaken jointly with other botanists, before you raised 

 me to the Presidency; and the fact that indefinite postponement 

 delays the publication of the labours of my coadjutors. I am 

 also influenced by the consideration that, though wholly opposed 

 to the view that the term of the Presidency of the Royal Society 

 should be either short or definitely limited, this term should not be very 

 long ; and that, considering the special nature of my own scientific 

 studies, it should, in my case, on this as well as on other grounds, be 

 briefer than might otherwise be desirable. Cogent as these reasons 

 are, they might not have been paramount, were it not that we 

 have among us, one pre-eminently fitted to be your President by 

 scientific attainments, by personal qualifications, and by intimate 

 knowledge of the Society's affairs ; and by calling upon whom to fill 

 the proud position which I have occupied, you are also recognising 

 the great services he has rendered to the Society as its Treasurer 

 for eight years, and its ofttimes munificent benefactor. 



On the motion of Dr. Graham Balfour, seconded by Sir Alexander 

 Armstrong, it was resolved — " That the thanks of the Society be re- 

 turned to the President for his Address, and that he be requested to 

 allow it to be printed." 



The President then proceeded to the presentation of the Medals. 

 The Copley Medal has been awarded to Jean Baptiste Boussingault 



