938 
Proceedings of the Royal Society 
in Genoa, and had therefore at his death reached the patriarchal age 
of 84. The value of his services during that long life to the cause 
to which it w^as devoted it is impossible to over-estimate. Similar 
honour is due to M. Wurtz, not only for his valuable labours in the 
same branch of Chemical Science, but from his numberless publica- 
tions and discoveries within the whole circle of chemical knowledgef 
“ It was his good fortune,” says M. Eriedel, in a funeral address, 
“ as rare as well-merited, that in the midst of such a multitude of 
different investigations, he never saw one of his results questioned. ’ 
He W’-as at the time of his death the designated successor of Dumas 
as Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences, which had long 
been an object of his ambition. 
Among ourselves, we have lost some very eminent and familiar 
names, to which, on the present occasion, I cannot do more than 
allude. They will he duly commemorated afterwards. At the head 
of the list stands that of the late Duke of Buccleuch. I have indi- 
vidually taken another opportunity of expressing my appreciation 
and respect for the memory of that distinguished man, to whom 
Scotland lies under a heavy debt of obligation, and who will long 
be remembered throughout its length and breadth as one of its most 
illustrious benefactors. Even had he not possessed these distin 
guished titles to our grateful remembrance, the fact that he was the 
lineal representative of the first President of the Society would have 
given him a claim on our interest. The three other names on the 
list furnished to me were personal friends of my own, two of them 
school-fellows whom I had known from boyhood. 
The first is that of Professor John Hutton Balfour, who was a 
Eellow of the Eoyal Society for fifty years, a Professor of Botany 
in the University of Edinburgh for thirty-four years, and Secretary 
of this Society for nineteen years. It is needless for me to speak to 
you, who knew him so well, of his kindly genial manner, his devotion 
to scientific pursuits, which began with his boyish days, and never 
quitted him during his long and useful life ; and the clear discern- 
ing capacity, which enabled him to attain and retain the confidence 
of all who came in contact with him. Nor need I attempt to recount 
the valuable services which he rendered to the progress of that branch 
of science to which his life was chiefly devoted. 
The second name is that of Allen Thomson. He too was a school- 
