302 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
goes, the “mode of becoming a fellow” of the Royal 
Society, stated by Professor Babbage, is applicable 
to nearly all. “ A.B. gets any three Fellows to sign 
a certificate, stating that he (A. B.) is desirous of 
becoming a member, and likely to be a useful and 
valuable one. ‘This is handed in to the secretary, 
and suspended in the meeting-room. At the end of 
ten (or more) weeks, if A. B. has the good fortune 
to be perfectly unknown by any literary or scientific 
achievement, however small, he is quite sure of 
being elected, as a matter of course. If, on the 
other hand, he has unfortunately written on any 
subject connected with science, or is supposed to be 
acquainted with any branch of it, the members 
begin to enquire what he has done to deserve the 
honour ? and, unless he has powerful friends, he has 
a fair chance of being black-balled. In fourteen 
years’ experience,” continues the same writer, “the 
_ few whom I have seen rejected, have all been known 
persons.” *— (Babbage, Reflections, p. 51.) 
(209.) This facility of acquiring diplomas is un- 
questionably one of the characteristics of our scien- 
tific institutions ; and the evils which are the natural 
result, are already becoming apparent. An honorary 
distinction, when the qualifications upon which it 
was originally founded are lost sight of, so that it 
* A singular verification of this occurred at one of the 
very few meetings at which, of late years, I have attended. 
It was the case of Captain P , well known for his nau- 
tical discoveries and inventions. The same show of opposition 
was manifested at the election of a well known ornithological 

painter. But in both instances, by timely exertion, this strange 
opposition was defeated. 
hy aan 
