rt　room；　in　which　the　morning　meetings　took　place。　　Each　member　was　also　provided　with　an　engraved　card　of　the　hall　of　meeting；　on　which　the　numbers　of　the　seats　were　printed　in　black　ink；　and　his　own　peculiar　seat　marked　in　red　ink；　so　that　every　person　immediately　found　his　own　place；　and　knew　where　to　look　for　any　friend　whom　he　might　wish　to　find。
  At　the　hour　appointed　for　the　opening　of　the　meeting；　the　members　being　assembled；　and　the　galleries　and　orchestra　being　filled　by　an　assemblage　of　a　large　part　of　the　rank　and　beauty　of　the　capital；　and　the　side…boxes　being　occupied　by　several　branches　of　the　royal　family；　and　by　the　foreign　ambassadors；　the　session　of　the　academy　was　opened　by　the　eloquent　address　of　the　president。
  SPEECH　made　at　the　Opening　of　the　Society　of　German　Naturalists　and　Natural　Philosophers　at　Berlin；　the　18th　of　September；　1828。　…　By　ALEXANDER　VON　HUMBOLDT。
  Since　through　your　choice；　which　does　me　so　much　honour；　I　am　permitted　to　open　this　meeting；　the　first　duty　which　I　have　to　discharge　is　one　of　gratitude。　　The　distinction　which　has　been　conferred　on　him　who　has　never　yet　been　able　to　attend　your　excellent　society；　is　not　the　reward　of　scientific　efforts；　or　of　feeble　and　persevering　attempts　to　discover　new　phenomena；　or　to　draw　the　light　of　knowledge　from　the　unexplored　depths　of　nature。　A　finer　feeling；　however；　directed　your　attention　to　me。　　You　have　assured　me；　that　while；　during　an　absence　of　many　years；　and　in　a　distant　quarter　of　the　globe；　I　was　labouring　in　the　same　cause　with　yourselves；　I　was　not　a　stranger　in　your　thoughts。　　You　have　likewise　greeted　my　return　home；　that；　by　the　sacred　tie　of　gratitude；　you　might　bind　me　still　longer　and　closer　to　our　common　country。
  What；　however；　can　the　picture　of　this；　our　native　land；　present　more　agreeable　to　the　mind；　than　the　assembly　which　we　receive　to…day　for　the　first　time　within　our　walls；　from　the　banks　of　the　Neckar；　the　birth…place　of　Kepler　and　of　Schiller；　to　the　remotest　border　of　the　Baltic　plains；　from　hence　to　the　mouths　of　the　Rhine；　where；　under　the　beneficent　influence　of　commerce；　the　treasuries　of　exotic　nature　have　for　centuries　been　collected　and　investigated；　the　friends　of　nature；　inspired　with　the　same　zeal；　and；　urged　by　the　same　passion；　flock　together　to　this　assembly。　Everywhere；　where　the　German　language　is　used；　and　its　peculiar　structure　affects　the　spirit　and　disposition　of　the　people。　　From　the　Great　European　Alps；　to　the　other　side　of　the　Weichsel；　where；　in　the　country　of　Copernicus；　astronomy　rose　to　renewed　splendour；　everywhere　in　the　extensive　dominions　of　the　German　nation　we　attempt　to　discover　the　secret　operations　of　nature；　whether　in　the　heavens；　or　in　the　deepest　problems　of　mechanics；　or　in　the　interior　of　the　earth；　or　in　the　finely　woven　tissues　of　organic　structure。
  Protected　by　noble　princes；　this　assembly　has　annually　increased　in　interest　and　extent。　　Every　distinction　which　difference　of　religion　or　form　of　government　can　occasion　is　here　annulled。　Germany　manifests　itself　as　it　were　in　its　intellectual　unity；　and　since　knowledge　of　truth　and　performance　of　duty　are　the　highest　object　of　morality；　that　feeling　of　unity　weakens　none　of　the　bonds　which　the　religion；　constitution；　and　laws　of　our　country；　have　rendered　dear　to　each　of　us。　　Even　this　emulation　in　mental　struggles　has　called　forth　（as　the　glorious　history　of　our　country　tells　us；）　the　fairest　blossoms　of　humanity；　science；　and　art。
  The　assembly　of　German　naturalists　and　natural　philosophers　since　its　last　meeting；　when　it　was　so　hospitably　received　at　Munich；　has；　through　the　flattering　interest　of　neighbouring　states　and　academies；　shone　with　peculiar　lustre。　　Allied　nations　have　renewed　the　ancient　alliance　between　Germany　and　the　ancient　Scandinavian　North。
  Such　an　interest　deserves　acknowledgment　the　more；　because　it　unexpectedly　increases　the　mass　of　facts　and　opinions　which　are　here　brought　into　one　common　and　useful　union。　　It　also　recalls　lofty　recollections　into　the　mind　of　the　naturalist。　　Scarcely　half　a　century　has　elapsed　since　Linne　appears；　in　the　boldness　of　the　undertakings　which　he　has　attempted　and　accomplished；　as　one　of　the　greatest　men　of　the　last　century。　　His　glory；　however　bright；　has　not　rendered　Europe　blind　to　the　merits　of　Scheele　and　Bergman。　　The　catalogue　of　these　great　names　is　not　completed；　but　lest　I　shall　offend　noble　modesty；　I　dare　not　speak　of　the　light　which　is　still　flowing　in　richest　profusion　from　the　North；　nor　mention　the　discoveries　in　the　chemical　nature　of　substances；　in　the　numerical　relation　of　their　elements；　or　the　eddying　streams　of　electro…magnetic　powers。　　＇The　philosophers　here　referred　to　are　Berzelius　and　Oersted。＇　　May　those　excellent　persons；　who；　deterred　neither　by　perils　of　sea　or　land；　have　hastened　to　our　meeting　from　Sweden；　Norway；　Denmark；　Holland；　England；　and　Poland；　point　our　the　way　to　other　strangers　in　succeeding　years；　so　that　by　turns　every　part　of　Germany　may　enjoy　the　effects　of　scientific　communication　with　the　different　nations　of　Europe。
  But　although　I　must　restrain　the　expression　of　my　personal　feelings　in　presence　of　this　assembly；　I　must　be　permitted　at　least　to　name　the　patriarchs　of　our　national　glory；　who　are　detained　from　us　by　a　regard　for　those　lives　so　dear　to　their　country；Goethe；　whom　the　great　creations　of　poetical　fancy　have　not　prevented　from　penetrating　the　ARCANA　of　nature；　and　who　now　in　rural　solitude　mourns　for　his　princely　friend；　as　Germany　for　one　of　her　greatest　ornaments；Olbers；　who　has　discovered　two　bodies　where　he　had　already　predicted　they　were　to　be　found；the　greatest　anatomists　of　our　ageSoemmering；　who；　with　equal　zeal；　has　investigated　the　wonders　of　organic　structure；　and　the　spots　and　FACULAE　of　the　sun；　（condensations　and　openings　of　the　photosphere；）　Blumenbach；　whose　pupil　I　have　the　honour　to　be；　who；　by　his　works　and　his　immortal　eloquence；　has　inspired　everywhere　a　love　of　comparative　anatomy；　physiology；　and　the　general　history　of　nature；　and　who　has　laboured　diligently　for　half　a　century。　　How　could　I　resist　the　temptation　to　adorn　my　discourse　with　names　which　posterity　will　repeat；　as　we　are　not　favoured　with　their　presence？
  These　observations　on　the　literary　wealth　of　our　native　country；　and　the　progressive　developement　of　our　institution；　lead　us　naturally　to　the　obstructions　which　will　arise　from　the　increasing　number　of　our　fellow…labourers；　The　chief　object　of　this　assembly　does　not　consist；　as　in　other　societies　whose　sphere　is　more　limited；　in　the　mutual　interchange　of　treatises；　or　in　innumerable　memoirs；　destined　to　be　printed　in　some　general　collection。　　The　principal　object　of　this　Society　is；　to　bring　those　personally　together　who　are　engaged　in　the　same　field　of　science。　　It　is　the　immediate；　and　therefore　more　obvious　interchange　of　ideas；　whether　they　present　themselves　as　facts；　opinions；　or　doubts。　　It　is　the　foundation　of　friendly　connexion　which　throws　light　on　science；　adds　cheerfulness　to　life；　and　gives　patience　and　amenity　to　the　manners。
  In　the　most　flourishing　period　of　ancient　Greece；　the　distinction　between　words　and　writing　first　manifested　itself　most　strongly　amongst　a　race；　which　had　raised　itself　to　the　most　splendid　intellectual　superiority；　and　to　whose　latest　descendants；　as　preserved　from　the　shipwreck　of　nations；　we　still　consecrate　our　most　anxious　wishes。　　It　was　not　the　difficulty　of　interchange　of　ideas　alone；　nor　the　want　of　German　science；　which　has　spread　thought　as　on　wings　through　the　world；　and　insured　it　a　long　continuance；　that　then　induced　the　friends　of　philosophy　and　natural　history　in　Magna　Graecia　and　Asia　Minor　to　wander　on　long　journeys。　　That　ancient　race　knew　the　inspiring　influence　of　conversation　as　it　extemporaneously；　freely；　and　prudently　penetrates　the　tissue　of　scientific　opinions　and　doubts。　　The　discovery　of　the　truth　without　difference　of　opinion　is　unattainable；　because　the　truth；　in　its　greatest　extent；　can　never　be　recognized　by　all；　and　at　the　same　time。　　Each　step；　which　seems　to　bring　the　explorer　of　nature　nearer　to　his　object；　only　carries　him　to　the　threshold　of　new　labyrinths。　　The　mass　of　doubt　does　not　diminish；　but　spreads　like　a　moving　cloud　over　other　and　new　fields；　and　whoever　has　called　that　a　golden　period；　when　difference　of　opinions；　or；　as　some　are　accustomed　to　express　it；　the　disputes　of　the　learned；　will　be　finished；　has　as　imperfect　a　conception　of　the　wants　of　science；　and　of　its　continued　advancement；　as　a　person　who　expects　that　the　same　opinions　in　geognosy；　chemistry；　or　physiology；　will　be　maintained　for　several　centuries。
  The　founders　of　this　society；　with　a　deep　sense　of　the　unity　of　nature；　have　combined　in　the　completest　manner；　all　the　branches　of　physical　knowledge；　and　the　historical；　geometrical；　and　experimental　philosophy。　　The　names　of　natural　historian　and　natural　philosopher　are　here；　therefore；　nearly　synonimous；　chained　by　a　terrestrial　link　to　the　type　of　the　lower　animals。　Man　completes　the　scale　of　higher　organization。　　In　his　physiological　and　pathological　qualities；　he　scarcely　presents　to　us　a　distinct　class　of　beings。　　As　to　what　has　brought　him　to　this　exalte