Scientific Reviews. 271 



OH which the Society meets, at One o'clock p.m., for the purpose of giving out 

 and receiving books.' f'Afm. p. 281.J 



" Mr Macgillivray had hitherto assisted in arranging and keeping the books, 

 without holding any office in the Society ; but at the election of office-bearers 

 for the year 1829, (held on 29th November 1828), ' Mr Macgillivray was elect- 

 ed assistant librarian,' (Min. p. 290) ; and this appointment, it was hoped, 

 would both relieve Mr Wilson, and promote the object in view, of facilitating 

 access to the books, 



. " Although books were as heretofore furnished by the Librarian to Members 

 requiring them, difficulties, it appears, still occurred, arising chiefly from the 

 circumstance of the Society not possessing a separate apartment of its own, 

 which might at all times be accessible to the members. On IJtli April 1830, 

 therefore, in consequence of a letter addressed to the president, (signed among 

 others, by Mr. Falconar the original mover for the Committee of 1824, and by 

 Mr. Arnott, the senior member of that Committee), it was ' agreed that a 

 Meeting of the Society be called for Saturday 24th April, to take into consid-. 

 eration the present state of the library, and other matters connected with the 

 Society.' {Min. p. 307.) 



" Accordingly, on 24th April, ' the Society met, R. Jameson, Esq. P. in the 

 ehair ; and after hearing such Members as inclined todeHver their opinion, the 

 following resolutions were moved by the Rev. Dr David Ritchie, 1 . That the 

 Council of the Society (viz. Professor Jameson, P. ; Mr Witham, Dr Adam, 

 Dr Greville, Mr Falconer, V. P. ; Dr Boggie, Rev. Dr Brunton, Mr Stark, 

 Dr Aitken, Sir A. Nicholson, Dr Gillies, Rev. Dr Scot, Dr Anderson, with the 

 Librarian, Treasurer, and Secretary ex officiis, and \\'ith the addition of Mr G. 

 A. W. Arnott) be directed to examine into the state of the library ; to cause 

 to be made up a new catalogue of the hooks, &c. in the Society's collection, with 

 ft note of such articles as appear missing ; and to suggest what regulations may 

 be suitable for the management of the library in future ; and, as soon as they 

 are ready, to call a general meeting of the Society, to receive their report. 2. 

 That the Treasurer be directed to furnish to the Society as soon as he can, a 

 state of the funds realized, and also of the sums due to, and debts due by, the 

 Society, as far as ascertained. — These resolutions were seconded by Dr Walter 

 Adam, and unanimously adopted by the Meeting.' (Min. p. 308.) 



" With the view of following up these resolutions, the Council met on the 1st 

 of May; and, ' after some consultation, it was unanimously agreed, that the 

 following gentlemen be appointed a Committee for the purposes mentioned in 

 the minutes of the Meeting of 24th April last, viz. Professor Jameson, Mr. 

 Falconar, Dr. Gillies, Mr. Arnott, with Mr. Wilson, librarian ; Professor 

 Jameson, convener, and three to be a quorum. The Committee to meet on 

 Thursday 3d June next, at Twelve o'clock.' (Min. p. 309.) 



" PAT. NEILL." 



Of this detail, which from its demi-official form, and numerous quotations 

 from the minutes, we might suppose to be accurate, almost every paragraph which 

 is not actually an extract, is either a misrepresentation, or a true representation of 

 a censurable fact. 



In the first place, it is stated in the 3d paragraph, that " Mr. Arnott having 

 gone to the Continent, the Committee delayed to report ; and after the lapse of 

 three years, (during which period, however, such members as demanded books were 

 furnished with them") the matter was again brought before the Society. Now it is 

 notorious, and we have the authority of Dr. Knox, a member of the Committee, 

 to assert, that they did not delay because Mr. Arnott was gone to the Conti« 

 nent, for tlie Committee was quite independent of Mr. Arnott's presence, and, 

 moreover, there was abundance of time before his departure for the transaction of 

 all the business. The truth is, that the Committee were not permitted to enter 

 the room " where the books were said to be kept. And on application to the li- 



* It is generally stated that, on the institution of the Wernerian Society, it 

 was entered as a clause in the code of laws, that all specimens presented to the 

 Society should be deposited in the Museum of the College, for the behoof of the 

 members ; a sort of bargain which was made for the use of the IMuseum apart- 

 ments, in which the Society at that time met. It has turned out to be rather 

 an unequal barter, however, under the present circumstances ; and we would 



