Xll LIFE OF JOSHUA ALDEE, 



For it was at an early age that lie had acquired an ardent 

 love of Natural History. After leaving- school he attended 

 lectures, as a member of the Literary and Philosophical Society 

 of Newcastle, on chemistry, electricity, and other branches of 

 Physical Science. Moreover, the association with scientific 

 men who became to him friends and companions shortly 

 afterwards, could scarcely have failed to give a scientific bias 

 to his mind. Among these associates were Thomas Bewick 

 the famous wood-engraver, William Hutton the Palaeontolo- 

 gist who made the famous 'Hutton Collection of -Carboni- 

 ferous Plants/ and George Burnett, who was a good 

 Mineralogist. 



It was not long before Alder began to take Natural History 

 rambles in various directions around Newcastle in com- 

 pany with Thomas Hancock, a brother of Albany; W. 

 Robertson, Botanist ; and George Burnett, Mineralogist. In 

 these excursions mineralogical and botanical specimens were 

 collected. These short expeditions were soon extended in the 

 summer months into longer pedestrian tours through the 

 lake and mountain districts of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and 

 the Scottish Lowlands. Now it was that there was added the 

 collecting of land and freshwater shells to his earlier pursuits, 

 and, finding great pleasure in hunting for them, he soon 

 devoted himself exclusively to their study, which he subse- 

 quently extended to the entire molluscan fauna of our 

 islands. 



" About the year 1829 certain scientific men, among whom 

 were Joshua Alder, William Hutton, Thomas, John, and 

 Albany Hancock, W r illiam Hewetson (Ornithologist and 

 Lepidopterist), George Wailes (Entomologist and Stained Glass 

 Manufacturer, an art which 1 believe he was the first to 

 revive), and the Rev. George Abbs (general Naturalist), con- 

 ceived the idea that it would be at once pleasurable, profitable, 

 and advantageous in all ways if they should meet together 

 frequently, for the purpose of conversation and discussion on 

 the several branches of Natural History to the study of which 

 they were devoting their time. To this end they instituted 

 ' Wednesday Evening Meetings,' for such was the designation 

 by which these friendly gatherings were known. They were 

 held fortnightly at seven o'clock in the houses of the members 

 in turn. All unnecessary expense was avoided, only a simple 

 plain tea was given by the host, while two things were 

 distinctly forbidden discussion on political topics and the 

 use of alcohol. Any discovery made by a member since the 

 preceding meeting was communicated ; specimens of interest 



