22 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
Wales. The evidence collected by these Commissioners is of 
great value. Legislation followed on their report. 
Shortly before his death, Sir William occupied himself in pre- 
paring a catalogue of the various objects of interest in his museum. 
This catalogue was in proof, and awaiting revisal when he died. 
The list of birds contains no less than 6000 species, and probably 
not less than 12,000 specimens. Sir William was most obliging 
in lending specimens to friends. I remember on one occasion 
obtaining from him on loan the skull of a fossil bear found in this 
country, on the occasion of a popular lecture which I was giving 
in Berwickshire. 
Sir William Jardine was during the last ten years of his life 
constantly resident at Jardine Hall, enjoying the sports of country 
life, discharging the duties of a proprietor, and taking his share 
of county and parochial business. 
William Macdonald was born in the year 1798, and died on 
1st January 1875. He was the oldest member of our Society, in 
the class of Ordinary Fellows, having joined the Society in the year 
1820. There is, however, one older member, my venerable friend 
Sir Richard Griffiths, who is an Extraordinary Fellow of the 
Society. He was ninety-one years of age last September, and is 
still in excellent health, residing near Kelso. I believe that Sir 
Richard would have been here to-night, had the weather been 
less stormy. 
Dr Macdonald at an early age inherited a good estate in Argyll- 
shire. He applied himself to the execution of extensive works 
in that county, for the improvement of his property, and of the 
district where it was situated. Unfortunately he involved him- 
self in financial difficulties, and was obliged to sell his estate. 
He then studied medicine, passed with honours, but never 
practised. 
In 1820 he joined a number of Societies. He was the oldest 
member not only of our Society, but also of the Royal College of 
Physicians and of the Linnean Society. 
Dr Macdonald frequently read papers to us on various subjects. 
He held peculiar views on some points of anatomy, which were 
