of Edinburgh, Session 1877-78. 489 
Brought forward, 9 384 
Cancelled— Prof. Arthur Gamgee, M.D. ; Ernest Bonar, 
Esq., cancelled in 1856, and whose name has been 
inserted by mistake in subsequent Lists, . . 2 
_ 11 
Total number of Ordinary Fellows at November 1877, . 373 
Add Honorary Fellows and Non-Resident Fellows, . 55 
Total Ordinary and Honorary Fellows at commencement 
of Session 1877-78, 428 
The following Obituary Address was read by Professor 
Piazzi Smyth, Astronomer-Royal for Scotland 
Le Yerrier — Urbain, Jean, Joseph — one of our most respected 
HonoraryMembers for thirty years, died on the 23d of last Septem- 
ber, aged sixty-six. 
On the 23d of that same month, but in the year 1846, an astro- 
nomical discovery was made on the Continent, which almost took 
men's breath away for the moment in astonishment and admiration ; 
and which in bringing the name of Le Yerrier for the first time 
prominently before the general public, taught them that the age of 
intellectual giants after the manner of Newton and La Place, was 
not yet closed. And thirty-one years afterwards, or on that very 
identical day of September in the present year 1877, the electric 
telegraph flashed this other mournful news over an attentive world, 
that the same Le Yerrier (without compare the greatest gravita- 
tional astronomer of our time) had ceased to exist ! 
Death has been indeed too complete, for within a few days of Le 
Yerrier’ s own demise, his adored Wife followed him to the tomb, 
where one of his sons was already laid ; and we thus have the whole 
life-lesson of this most eminent scientist ready for impartial historical 
treatment, if at all. 
But who shall prove equal to the task of writing the life of such 
a man. Biographical notices of him innumerable have been pub- 
lished, but not the one, full, history which posterity will require ; 
nor is this the place to attempt anything of the kind. But what 
has appeared in print already, swr-abundantly relieves your Council 
of the necessity of any attempt on their part at formally justifying 
their advice of thirty years ago, to the Society, to enrol the name of 
