Address of the president, Sir Archibald Geikie, K. C. B., at the anniversary meeting on November 30,1912

Abstract

In reviewing the progress of the Royal Society since St. Andrew's Day last year we have first to take note of the losses which during the interval have been inflicted on our ranks by the hand of death. Though, perhaps, somewhat fewer in number than the average of recent years, these losses have included some of our most distinguished associates. Four of our Foreign Members have passed away, and on our Home List we have to regret the death of twelve Fellows, among whom are two former Presidents of the Society and Copley Medallists. While both the biological and the physical sides of science have shared in this bereavement, it is more especially on the former and particularly on the domain of botany that the losses have fallen. Two of our recently deceased Foreign Members were eminent representatives of botanical science. Jean B. Édouard Bornet, who was elected into our number only two years ago, died at the end of last year at the ripe age of 83, having attained the highest distinction by his investigations into the structure and life-histroy of the Algæ.