XU PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



then elected President, Dr. Goodeuough Treasurer, and IMr. Mar- 

 sham Secretary. After two or three other preparatory meetings, 

 the first general meeting took place on the 8th of April in the 

 same year, when the new Society was inaugurated by an interesting 

 and learned discourse on the progress of Natural History by the 

 President. This treatise forms the first paper in the Transactions 

 of the Society, which however was not published imtil three years 

 afterwards. In the first printed list of the Society, we find the 

 names of almost all the English naturalists of any note at that 

 period. Sir Joseph Banlis was, \vith great propriety, elected an 

 honorary member, and contiaued so until his death ; and amongst 

 the Fellows we fiLad the names of Dryander and Goodenough, of 

 Mart}Ti of Cambridge, and Shaw and Lambert, and the Lathams, 

 of Pidteney, and Eelhan, and many others, who had then or have 

 since distinguished themselves in tlie cultivation of Natural Science. 

 In the list of Associates are the Indian Buchanan, Dr. Edward 

 AVTiitaker Gray of the British Museum, Professor Hope of Glas- 

 gow, Mark-«-ick the annotator of White's ' Selborne,' and the elder 

 Sowerby . And amongst the Foreign Members we have many of the 

 most illustrious names which then adorned the Natural History 

 science of Europe, — Afzelius, Allioni, Broussonet, Carolini, Des- 

 fontauies, Fontana, L'Heritier, Jussieu, the two Jacquins, Schu- 

 macher, Sparrmann, and Swartz, Targioni Tozzetti and Thunberg, 

 with many others ; — names, which show how rich was the foreign 

 list of the Society, even at that infancy of its existence. 



It is not my object to enter further into the life of our revered 

 founder, than just to illustrate the progress of the Society, which 

 owed its existence, its rise, and its prosperity, to the zeal, know- 

 ledge, accomplishments, and other estimable qualities which distin- 

 guished him. Few men were more entirely respected and beloved ; 

 and I believe the Society owes its comparative immunity from un- 

 kindly discussion, to the temper and judgment invariably displayed 

 by him in its administration, which stamped upon it a character 

 which seems almost to have become an essential element in its 

 nature, and which I earnestly hope and believe it will never lose. 



We have now then seen our Society fairly launclied on her pro- 

 mising voyage with all the advantages of a skilful commander, of 

 a wHliag and intelligent and hardworking crew, and under the 

 happiest auspices, both with respect to her origin and object. It 

 is not necessary that I should enter into au}^ minute details of the 

 Society's histoiy. It gradually increas^ed in fame, in usefidness, 

 and in numbers. Not only were most of the u-orlinr/ nattiralists 



