president's address. 
655 
actions in the matter of Smith’s Discourse : — ‘ Delivered by the 
President, April 8th, 1788.’ No mention of the second part 
being given in May. Lady Smith’s account though technically 
accurate, does not exhibit the true action of the Society as 
shown in its preliminaries.” 
Dr. James Edward Smith continued to be President of the 
Linnean Society until his death in 1828. On the recom- 
mendation of Lord Sidmouth, he was knighted on July 28th, 
1814, when he presented a complete series of the Transactions 
of the Linnean Society to the Prince Regent, who had con- 
sented to become its Patron.' 
James Smith, while living in London, frequently visited 
William Hudson (1730-93), apothecary, at Panton street, Hay- 
market. Hudson had been influenced by Benjamin Stillingfleet 
(1702-71), a Norfolk man educated at Norwich Grammar 
School, who, when staying with his friend Robert Marsham at 
Stratton Strawless in 1755, had written “The English Calendar 
of Flora,” which was published in 1761. Stillingfleet had 
“ greatly advanced his (Hudson’s) taste and information in 
Natural History, directed his attention to the writings of 
Linnaeus, and given his mind that correct and scientific turn 
which caused him to take the lead as a classical English botanist, 
and induced him to become the author of the ‘ Flora Anglica ’ 
published in 1762, in one volume 8vo.” 15 This book was “the 
first true attempt to set forth a British flora according to the 
system and nomenclature of Linnaeus.” " The Introduction to 
“ Flora Anglica ” was written by Stillingfleet. 
Hugh Rose’s herbarium passed into the possession of Sir 
James Smith, and was specially valued by him because it con- 
tained specimens which had been ‘ named under the inspection 
of Mr. Hudson.” Unfortunately, Smith did not sufficiently 
value the original labels attached to the specimens which he 
acquired. Even in the Linnaean collection, Smith destroyed 
original labels and replaced them by those of his own writing. 
It is therefore impossible now to ascertain which specimens 
had belonged to Mr. Rose. 
