24 PEOCEEBINGS OF THE 



historical fact b)' a sketch of the development of the Society, of its 

 work and achievemeuts, and to recall the memory of some, at any 

 rate, of its famons names. 



"Without entering upon a consideration of the circumstances 

 which led to the foundation of the Society, I will only say that it 

 was the outcome of the purchase of the collections and library of 

 Linnaeus by our Founder and first President, James Edward Smith. 

 Pounded in 1788, with the active assistance of Sir Joseph Banks, 

 it obtained its Charter of Incorporation in the year 1802 as 

 ' a Societj^ for the Cultivation of the Science of Natural History 

 in all its Branches, and more especially of the Natural History of 

 Great Britain and Ireland.' Moreover it was the view of our 

 Founder, as expressed in his Inaugural Address, that the study of 

 Natural History in the Society was to be pursued in accordance 

 with the general principles laid down by Linnaeus. 



One important feature in the activity of the new Society was the 

 issue of its "Transactions": for at that time there were no channels 

 of this kind for the publication of papers relating to Natural History. 

 The facilities which the Society offered were not great, the issue of 

 the " Transactions '' being limited for the first fifty years of its exist- 

 ence to a single part in each year. This rate of publication must 

 long have been altogether out of proportion to the activity of the 

 Society, when, in 1838, the "Transactions'" were supplemented by 

 the "Proceedings," which twenty years later developed into the 

 "Journal." 



The cause of the long delay in the expansion of the Society's 

 publications is to be found in the financial paralysis which was 

 brought about by the unexpected demand for the purchase of the 

 Linnean Collections from Sir James Smith's executor in 1829, and 

 which hampered the development of the Society for thirty years. 



I dwell upon these circumstances, because they lead up to an 

 important event in the history of the Society. L'nable to obtain 

 what they regarded as the due publication of their memoirs, and 

 wearied perhaps by meetings in which the only compensation for 

 the absence of discussion seems to have been interminable com- 

 mentaries on the Hortus Malaharicus, certain Fellows in 1822 founded 

 the Zoological Club with the object of developing the zoological side 

 of the Society's work. In 1826 the Zoological Societj^ of London 

 was instituted, an event which is directly traceable to the action of 

 the Zoological Club. In his " Address " delivered at the sixth and 

 last anniversary meeting of the Zoological Club, on Nov. 29, 1829, 

 Mr. Vigors made use of the following words : — ' One more topic of 

 congratulation remains to be noticed. I allude to the establishment 

 of the Zoological Society. On the eve of the dissolution of this 

 Club, it is a theme not merelj' of consolation but of triumph that 

 we have been the embryo of that higher body which has now sprung 

 into perfect form. The individuals who are now about to separate, 

 wiU carry in their recollection to their latest day the share which 

 they have had in this great consummation.' 



It may weU be reckoned as an important achievement of the 



