President's A ddress. 



Ill 



ation in the class." Dr Coldstream was elected one of 

 the Presidents of this Society on the 7th of January 1852, 

 and delivered the opening address on the 23d November 

 1853. His valuable contributions tozoophytologyare recorded 

 and gracefully acknowledged by Dr George Johnston in his 

 classic work on the " History of British Zoophytes/' and 

 this gave rise to a frequent correspondence and a lasting 

 friendship between these two congenial and excellent men. 

 Dr Coldstream contributed several articles to the " Cyclo- 

 pedia of Anatomy and Physiology " — on the Acalephse, on 

 the Cirrhopoda, on Electricity, and on Luminousness or 

 Animal Phosphorescence. These papers are alike char- 

 acterised by extensive and accurate information on the 

 subjects treated of, by a fair and impartial criticism of the 

 labours of other writers, and by much original observation. 

 Had it been our purpose to attempt a full biography of this 

 eminent physician, earnest philanthropist, and distinguished 

 savant, many other papers of great value published by him 

 in various periodicals might be added to this list. His 

 biography, indeed, might be summed up in a sentence — He 

 was continually doing good. I trust this brief notice will 

 suffice to show that Dr John Coldstream deserves to rank 

 with those honoured names belonging to this Society, who 

 like Forbes, Miller, Fleming, and many other great men, 

 have by their scientific labours increased the common stock 

 of knowledge, and by their lives have upheld the dignity of 

 human nature. 



It has been customary for some time past with my prede- 

 cessors in the opening address to confine their remarks, in 

 a great measure, to some particular department of natural 

 history which they have themselves made a special object of 

 study. I shall deviate somewhat from this excellent prac- 

 tice, and also from another one, which, indeed, is almost 

 a fundamental principle w T ith our Society — namely, to 

 observe and record facts, rather than to indulge in theory 

 and speculation. Accordingly, I will, on this occasion, occupy 

 a portion of the time at my command in tracing the origin, 

 and in recapitulating some of the facts and arguments that 

 have been adduced in support of — 



