The pleasure which honourable and enlightened minds must feel in acknowledging their obligation to the individuals who have advanced useful knowledge in any department of science,—who have contributed to the means of promoting human happiness, or of alleviating human suffering, has, in all times, led men to seek an opportunity of recording their sentiments of admiration and of gratitude towards the distinguished instructors of mankind. They have felt, too, that the time when one of these guiding lights has been quenched, when a contributor to the treasury of knowledge has just terminated his labours, is peculiarly fitted for the discharge of this duty. The whole amount of his contributions is then presumed to be before them, and they are restrained by no fear of offending his delicacy by their praise, or of having their own feelings hurt by a misconstruction of their motives.