THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 9735, 4 February 1895, Page 4

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

The annual meeting of the Royal Society was held on November 30, and on that occasion the proceedings were of great and general interest. Lord Kelvin presided, and after giving a resume of the history of science during the year, presented " the Darwin medal" to Professor Huxley. He said that no one would ever know in full how, in the working out of his great idea, Darwin was encouraged, helped, and guided by constant communion with three close and faithful friends Charles Lyell, Joseph Dalton Hooker, and Thomas Henry Huxley. Each of these men represented different branches of science, and each brought to bear on the problems to be considered different mental characters. All three had a share in aiding the birth of " The Origin of Species " Lord Kelvin said that in these latter days there was fear that the theory of Darwin would be. stretched further than it would bear But they had still one man amongst them who had defended it from its early foes, and who was now ready to save it from its injudicious friends. Professor Huxley's reply was very impressive. Forty-three years ago, he said, the Royal Society awarded him a medal, and thereby determined his career. He could not put his claims in connection with Darwin's theory on the same level as those of Mr. Wallace, and Sir J. D. Hookey who for twentyfive years placed all his great sources of knowledge, his sagacity, his industry, at the disposition of his friend Darwin. At the conclusion of his speech, Professor Huxley made a brilliant vindication of Darwin's theory as the only hypothesis on the subject which has a sound scientific foundation. These views, he said, constitute an epoch in the intellectual history of the human race, and will modify the whole system of our thought and opinion. Lord Salisbury, who wt3 present on this occasion, recently delivered an address, giving some cautions against accepting Darwin's theory as an explanation of everything. There are many now living who remember how fiercely the whole theory of Evolution was contested. Now the difficulty is to prevent it being used as a solution of ail scientific difficulties.