Journal of Proceedings. 
xm 
his last resting-place in Westminster Abbey, on Wednesday, April 26th, 
by a procession representing all ranks of society, every grade of political 
and religions opinion, and every branch of human learning. The gap 
caused by the loss of this illustrious leader is one not likely to be soon 
filled up, and wherever human culture extends there has been homage paid 
to his memory. Many of the rising naturalists of the present day owe 
their first tastes to the writings of Darwin, and much of the work that has 
been done by the younger men of the time has been prompted by his ever 
ready sympathy and kindly encouragement. The vivacity and earnest¬ 
ness of his manner when in conversation can never be forgotten by those 
whose privilege it was to know him personally ; the kindliness of his 
disposition and the greatness of his nature will cause him to live in the 
hearts and minds of all who ever came in contact with him. It is with 
the greatest satisfaction in our own case that I am able to state that he 
always took a great interest in our prosperity. While every scientific body 
both here and abroad mourns the loss that has befallen it we must not 
omit to pay our small tribute of respect to the memory of Charles Darwin, 
who honoured us by having his name enrolled upon our first list of 
honorary members. I am sure that I am expressing the will of this 
Society in moving that the Secretary, on our behalf, should forward a 
letter expressing to Mrs. Darwin and the family our sincere sympathy and 
condolence for the irreparable loss which they and the country generally 
have sustained. 
Mr. Worthington Smith said :—I should like to second that proposal 
with your permission. I think I need not say a single word more than 
Mr. Meldola has done, which was only a fitting tribute to his memory. 
Mr. Darwin was an occasional correspondent of mine, and of course 
I, together with all scientific men, held him in the greatest possible 
admiration. 
The vote was at once agreed to unanimously. 
The Secretary exhibited, on behalf of Mr. Charles Wilson, a very fine 
specimen of a “fasciated” daisy, from Mersea Island, Essex. The speci¬ 
men appeared to consist of three flowers conjoined. He also exhibited, 
on behalf of Mr. Gibbs, a seedling of the Pilewort (Ranunculus ficaria ), 
concerning which Mr. Gibbs wrote as follows (under date 21st March) :— 
“Having read in a magazine that Ranunculus ficaria did not repro¬ 
duce itself from seed, I found last June some ripe achenes of this plant 
by the side of a ditch where it grows abundantly. I sowed them, and 
have now half-a-dozen seedling plants of R. ficaria, in which the coty¬ 
ledons are laterally coherent, so as to make the young plant look like a 
seedling of Sinapis or Brassica, of which one of the cotyledons had been 
destroyed.” 
Mr. Gibbs also sent a “ List of native plants found in the neighbour¬ 
hood of Chelmsford” [‘Proceedings ’ ii. 1. note] which is reserved for the 
present; and the following note on the characters of the inflorescence in 
the genus Acer :— 
