LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. 



XI 



before presented themselves in my long intercourse with the 

 Society, that I have the greatest difficulty in bringing myself to 

 the expression of any of those ordinary topics "which have, on pre- 

 vious occasions, formed the subjects of my annual address. 



When on this day 46 years — then a very young man — I was ad- 

 mitted into the Society by its estimable founder, how little could 

 I anticipate that I should have to look back upon so long a period 

 of intimate and happy intercourse with many of the most eminent 

 and distinguished naturalists and other scientific men who have, 

 during that time, adorned this country ; that I should have formed 

 so many close and pleasant friendships which have constituted one 

 principal charm and solace of the intervening portion of my life ; 

 and, above all, that, after an eight years' tenure, I should now be 

 resigning a Chair which had been previously occupied by men 

 whom it is indeed an honour to have succeeded, and my own occu- 

 pation of which has been rendered so uniformly happy by the 

 kindness and consideration and forbearance of those who placed 

 me there ! 



It is, indeed, with no ordinary emotion of gratitude that I look 

 back upon this latter and most important period of my fellowship 

 with the Linnean Society. Called, most unexpectedly to myself, 

 to succeed my late revered friend on his retirement, 1 might well 

 have shrunk from the responsibility of the office, the arduous nature 

 of its duties, and especially from the disadvantageous comparison 

 between my illustrious predecessor and myself. But having once 

 felt assured that my deficiencies (and no one could, I assure 

 you, be more painfully aware of them than myself) might be, in 

 some measure, obviated by an earnest endeavour to master the 

 difficulties of the position, and an assurance, derived from past ex- 

 perience, that I should receive the warm support of the officers 

 and Council, and that every allowance would be made by the 

 Fellows at large for my inevitable shortcomings, I would not allow 

 my misgivings to prevail against the expressed desire of so many 

 of the Fellows. If, as I am assured, I have fulfilled those 

 duties in any degree to their satisfaction, I most thankfully attri- 

 bute it to the wise counsels, the cordial co-operation and support, 

 and the lenient judgment with which I have at all times been 

 favoured. Still the retrospect of the last eight years cannot but 

 leave a mixed impression on my mind. The recollection of many 

 mistakes (I fear but imperfectly rectified), of opportunities of use- 

 fulness neglected and of duties only partially fulfilled, must and 

 ought to cause some regret, especially when it is considered that 



