A X X U A L ADDRESS, 

 OX THE MODERX STUDY OF BOTAXY, 



DELIVERED AT 



THE A^'XCAL :\rEETIXG OF YOEKSHIEE XATTTEALISTS' UXIOX, 

 AT YOEK, 15th JAX., 1881, 

 By pEor. W. C. Willia:sisox, F.R.S, &c., Peesibext. 



[ABSTFACT.] 



Prof. 'Williamson commenced by stating, that lie had been under 

 the impression that the address he was about to deliver was to be 

 given before the members of the Yorkshire Union only, and he had 

 so prepared it as to be adapted for scientific students, and not for a 

 popular assembly. He was therefore afraid that some of his audience 

 might find it rather dry. It had been mentioned that both himself 

 and Dr. Sorby were Fellows of the Eoyal Society, but it was very 

 possible that some of his hearers, before he had finished, might feel 

 disposed to translate those letters, F.E.S., in a sense certainly not 

 very flattering, viz., fellows remarkably stupid," as he had once or 

 twice before heard them interpreted. 



He wished to speak that evening on the differences between the 

 older methods of studying botanical science, and those which now 

 prevail among modern botanists. Prior to the time of the immortal 

 Linnasus, there existed — contrary to the popular opinion — a great 

 variety of botanical literature. From the time of Theophrastus 

 (about 300 years b.c.) to that of Linn^us, there were hundreds of 

 treatises written, the names of the authors of which are mostly 

 forgotten. Yet most gardeners are really familiar with their names, 

 though they do not often know it, as they have been preserved in the 

 names of many plants called after them, such as Lobelia, Calceolaria, 

 Matthiola, and so forth. These writers were, however, mostly 

 interested in discovering and naming new species and genera. The 

 naming of known plants, and the discovering of new ones, occupied 

 their whole time and writings. Chemistry and other cognate sciences 

 were then scarcely even in their infancy, and were very imperfect ; 

 consequently the earlier botanists did not, and could not, enter into 

 any physiological problems. Only two names can be given as 

 attempting anything in this direction ; these were Malpighi, an 

 Italian, and Grew, our own countryman. They laid the foundations 

 of modern botany by directing their attention to the functions and 

 morphology of plants. After naming and discovering plants, many 

 X, S,, Vol. VI.— Feb., 1881. 



