OBITUARY NOTICES. 
His Excellency R. H. Gunning, Esq., M.D., LL.D., etc. 
By Professor Duns, D.D., Vice-President. 
(Read. February 4, 1901.) 
I need hardly remind the Society that, at the first meeting of 
the Session, the Chairman is expected to refer to the Fellows who 
have died in the course of the year. In a few words mention was 
made of the death of His Excellency Robert Halliday Gunning, 
Esq., M.D., LL.D., F.S.A. Scot., and the Vice-President who 
occupied the Chair intimated that I would prepare a fuller notice 
of His Excellency later on. When looking at Dr Gunning’s 
relation to this Society it is worth noting that the Fellows consist 
of five classes : — (1) those who join it with the intention of contri- 
buting to its literature ; (2) those who listen with pleasure to the 
things new and old which the Proceedings reveal ; (3) those who 
find in the title F.R.S.E. an honour and, in many cases, a true 
help in their life’s work ; (4) those who set a high value on the 
work done by the Society, who in the past have been, and no 
doubt in the future will be, helpful by money endowments ; and 
(5) Honorary Fellows — men of this and other lands who are 
celebrated by original contributions to one branch or to more than 
one branch of science. Numbers 2 and 4 are specially represented, 
both in the motive and the method of true science, by the personal 
friend of whom I now write. 
When Napoleon heard any one praised highly he was wont to 
ask, “ What has he done ? ” Is this relevant in the present case ? 
I think it is, though the proofs of Dr Gunning’s ‘ doing ’ often 
come, not in scientific sequence, but are frequently suggestive of 
missing links. Anticipation becomes mixed with retrospect and 
the association is mutually interesting. Both testify to a busy 
life. In a letter to me, so recently as August 1899, we have a 
good illustration of his frequently linking the chief events of his 
