president's address. 
139 
of the study of these minute vegetable organisms both to the 
biologist and the physician but I am by no means sure that the 
importance is as yet sufficiently recognised scientific men and 
I am unwilling to trust the fate of my bequest to the very 
uncertain views of the Senate on the subject. I therefore wish 
my executors to procure very distinct pledges from the Senate 
upon all the points above mentioned. Should the Senate decline 
all or any of these conditions I empower my executors to hand 
over the aforesaid sum of twelve thousand pounds to the Linnean 
Society to provide a sufficient salary by the year to a competent 
bacteriologist who shall be called the bacteriologist to the 
Linnean Society and whose duties shall be to conduct original 
research in the laboratory of the Society and to give instruction 
to one or two people at the discretion and under the orders and 
control of the Council of the Society any surplus to be applied to 
laboratory requirements." 
The plaintiff prays for a declaration — 
1st. Whether or not the words " science degree" in the fourth 
condition mean a degree in science generally or in biological 
science or other sciences analogous thereto; and 
2ndly. Whether or not the words "a six months' course of 
bacteriology" in the fourth condition mean any and if so what 
definite amount of lectures or teaching or whether the words 
mean such amount of lectures or teaching as shall from time to 
time be prescribed by the Senate. 
The will and memorandum bear date the 23rd December, 1890. 
In the argument before me it was admitted that the "science 
degree" must be limited to a degree in biological science or other- 
sciences analogous thereto, as the study of bacteriology would 
have no place in the curriculum for other science degrees, such as 
engineering, &c, and as the testator in the memorandum refers to 
the importance of such study to the biologist and the physician, I 
have therefore no difficulty in declaring that the "science degree" 
must be construed with such limitation. 
The question as to the meaning of the words "a six months' 
course of bacteriology" presents greater difficulties. If those 
