6 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [sess. 
the old one on the Calton Hill, hut by the erection of a new one in 
the vicinity of Edinburgh. Government has accepted the gift, has 
undertaken to provide a suitable site and buildings, and to increase 
the endowment. It is to be hoped that as little delay as possible 
will occur in carrying this out, and that before long Scotland may 
be put in possession of this princely gift — the bestowal of which by 
her premier Earl is worthy to stand beside the noblest of the 
achievements that have been recorded in the Lives of the Lindsays. 
I have no occasion to take any retrospect of the past Session, 
because that was done on 16th July in his closing address by Pro- 
fessor Flint, who then summarised what had been done in the 
Society, and also noticed those Fellows who had during the Session 
been removed by death. Only one addition has been made to 
our death-list of Fellows since the close of last Session, in the 
person of Dr William Wallace, F.C.S., public analyst to the City of 
Glasgow, which took place at his residence at Hillhead on 5th 
November. For two years Dr Wallace had been in somewhat 
feeble health, and for a month he was entirely confined to the 
house. While his death thus did not come unexpectedly to his 
more intimate friends, the sad intelligence was received with surprise 
by many people not only in the City of Glasgow, but throughout all 
the country, by whom, both on professional and personal grounds, 
he was highly esteemed. Dr Wallace, who had reached his 56th 
year, began his professional career in Glasgow as assistant to the 
late Dr Penny at the Andersonian College. He held this appoint- 
ment for a number of years. He was next appointed Lecturer to 
the Mechanics’ Institute (now the College of Science and Arts), and 
this position he held for several years. In 1870 he entered into 
partnership with Mr Tatlock and Dr Clarke, and for many years 
a large and important business was carried on by the firm. The 
office of Public Analyst for the City of Glasgow was conferred on 
Dr Wallace in 1874, and, besides discharging the duties of this 
appointment to the satisfaction of the Town Council, he held a 
number of similar offices, in all of which, by his great skill as a 
chemist, and his courteous and agreeable manner to all with 
whom he came in contact, he extended his reputation and secured 
the esteem of a wide circle of friends. In conjunction with Dr 
Eussell, the medical officer of health for the city, he was the author 
