decorated with flowers, one of which, chosen I believe at Professor Bateson's suggestion, was the Myrtaceous Darwinia hookeriana. As we left the table several of us took specimens to preserve in remembrance of the occasion. The speeches at the banquet were made by the Right Hon. A. J. Balfour, Mr. William Erasmus Darwin (Charles Darwin's oldest son), Dr. Arrhenius and Professor Poulton. The most interesting was naturally that of Mr. Darwin, who gave his recollections of his father. He said that in trying to think out his father's characteristics, the one which came most prominently before his mind was his abhorrence of anything approaching oppression or cruelty, and especially of slavery. Almost the only occasion when he had known him to be angry was when a subject of this sort was brought before him. He also spoke of the way in which Darwin treated his children, playing with them when they were young, and later treating them with entire trust and freedom. "It was rather touching to remember the tone of admiration and gratitude with which he acknowledged any help which they could give him." Mr. Darwin also referred to his father's modesty, and could imagine him saying, with a note of deprecation in his voice, that if there was to be a celebration, there could be no more fitting place for it than Cambridge.
At the close of the banquet the vice-chancellor got up, and spoke of the regret which all felt at the absence of Dr. Alfred Russel Wallace. It was proposed to send a telegram to him as follows: "The naturalists assembled at Cambridge for the Darwin celebration, can not forget your share in the great work which they are commemorating, and regret your inability to be present." This was endorsed by the most tremendous and unanimous applause; the vice-chancellor, speaking for himself, said he only regretted the word naturalists, as this might seem to exclude from participation such persons as himself, who, though engaged in other than biological work, were strongly in accord with the sentiment of the telegram.
Although Dr. Wallace could not prudently have endured the stress of the celebration, in which he would have been a central figure, I may be permitted to report that his health has much improved recently, and when I visited him in August he was as active minded and ready to discuss the celebration and other matters as one could have expected had he been thirty years younger. His garden is as beautiful and full of rare and interesting plants as ever, and he is collecting materials for a new book.
On the following day, June 24, the official proceedings closed with a session in the senate house, at which honorary degrees were conferred on a number of delegates, and the Rede Lecture, dealing with Darwin's contributions to geology, was delivered by Sir Archibald Geikie. On this occasion a venerable lady was observed occupying a chair, contrary
