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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 1882. – ORDINARY MEETING.

The twenty-fifth Ordinary Meeting was held at the head-quarters at seven o'clock, the President in the chair.

Donations of books, pamphlets, or periodicals (exclusive of " exchanges" with other scientific societies) were announced from Mr. R. L. Barnes (2 journals monthly), Lady Brady, Mr. C. Darwin, […]

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[SATURDAY, APRIL 22ND, 1882. –FIELD MEETING. PRESIDENT: PROF. BOULGER]

[…] At its conclusion the President, after a few words relating to this being the first Field Meeting of the year, referred to the recent death of Mr. Charles Darwin. He said:—Our own Club and British science in general has sustained a very heavy loss—in fact the heaviest loss which British science could possibly have sustained—by the death of our honorary member, Charles Darwin; and this being the first meeting held since that calamity, I think it only just to allude to it in a few words. I shall have somewhat more to say about the noble life of that illustrious naturalist when we meet next Saturday. In the meantime I just pay this small tribute of respect to the memory of a man who was certainly England's greatest thinker, the man who has stamped this age with a line of thought which will run through all future ages. I think I am perfectly justified in mentioning the circumstance now, because Mr. Darwin himself took always the very liveliest interest in our proceedings, and I have many letters from him at home in which he congratulates me on the success which seemed to be attending our Field Club.

Mr. Andrew Johnston said it was very gratifying to remember that the very first thing which occurred to him as Treasurer was to receive a cheque from Mr. Darwin for the Forest Camps Exploration Fund (1882).

[…]

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SATURDAY, APRIL 29th, 1882.—ORDINARY MEETING.

The President then rose and said:—Since our March meeting we have had the misfortune to lose by death an honorary member whose works have for nearly half a century been guiding lights to naturalists and philosophers throughout the whole civilised world. When in future years we look back to the period of the foundation of this Society, we shall point with pride to the name of Charles Darwin as having been among those of our earliest supporters. This great philosophical naturalist breathed his last on "Wednesday, April 19th, at his quiet home at Down, in Kent, in the 73rd year of his age. The wealth of thought and the vast accumulation of facts that he has bequeathed to posterity can be realised only by those who are familiar with his writings, but the influence which he has exerted upon biological science during his lifetime amounts to no less than a revolution. Unlike many great reformers in the world of science, he lived to see the results of his patient and exhaustive inquiries into Nature's inmost processes accepted by the leading minds of the age; he bore with philosophic calmness the revilings of bigotry and the narrow-minded rancour of mistaken theologies for the sake of the great truths which Nature had revealed to him. This gentle- hearted and noble-minded Kentish squire has earned for our country and for our age a reputation which will extend far into futurity, and the historians of science will henceforth refer to this as the Darwinian epoch. The great doctrine of Evolution has now become part and parcel of all our scientific ideas, and the theory of development, built on a biological basis by Darwin, is permeating all branches of science and philosophy. I do not now propose to dwell at any length upon his labours; he has too recently been removed from our ranks, and I hope on some future occasion to be able to give you some account of them. His mortal remains justly repose among England's greatest, and he was followed to

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his last resting-place in Westminster Abbey, on Wednesday, April 26th, by a procession representing all ranks of society, every grade of political and religious 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 earnestness 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.

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[Saturday, September 30th, 1882.—Ordinary Meeting]

[…] The Secretary read a letter from Mr. Francis Darwin, returning the thanks of Mrs. Darwin and family for the vote of sympathy and condolence upon the death of the late Charles Darwin passed by the Club on April 29th last.

 

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REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE YEAR 1882.

(Read at the Third Annual General Meeting, held at Buckhurst Hill, January 27th, 1883.) In accordance with the Rules, the Council has pleasure in presenting the 3rd Annual Report. […] Although the work of Mr. Charles Darwin will form a large part of the subject-matter of the address from the chair, the Council may be here permitted to record its deep sense of the loss sustained by science in the death of our illustrious honorary member.

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Appendix No. 2.

[…]

As promised in the last Annual Report, the investigations at the Forest Camps were renewed in 1882. A circular was issued in February last, asking for funds to carry on the works. A very liberal response was made to that appeal, the following subscriptions being promised in the course of a few weeks: —

Balance from last subscription	₤ 5	s. 11	d 2.
Barnes, R. L	0	10	6
Boulger, Professor	0	10	6
Buxton, E. N.	10	0	0
Cole, B. G.	0	10	6
Cole, W.	1	1	0
Cory, Dr.	0	10	6
Crouch, W.	0	10	6
Darwin, Charles	2	2	0
[…]