306 STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
able and instructive mode of enlivening the pro- 
verbial heaviness of their meetings. It has been 
well said of such discussions, that besides the agree- 
able variation they create in the proceedings of the 
evening, they frequently bring together isolated facts 
in the science, which, however insignificant in 
themselves, mutually illustrate each other, and ulti- 
mately lead to important conclusions. The Geological 
Society, young, indeed, yet with all the vigour of 
manhood, is particularly celebrated in this respect ; 
and others, we believe, of still more modern date, 
are following the example. It would be desirable 
if those of maturer years would conform to an 
innovation so well calculated to soften the dull 
austerity of their meetings. 
(213.) The bestowal of medals, as a reward for 
high scientific investigations or discoveries, is at 
present confined, we believe, to two of these bodies, 
namely, the Society of Arts, and the Royal Society of 
Great Britain. The first of these comes not within 
our province; but, in discussing the subject before 
us, it becomes essential that we enter into some details 
regarding the latter. For these we must stand in- 
debted to the information furnished by the Reflections 
of Professor Babbage; for, by a singularly injudicious 
remissness of very long standing, on the part of this 
society, no sort of information on these topics are 
given to the members, even upon their first admission; 
at least, in our own case, we were totally unac- 
quainted with all these means of rewarding merit, 
and “for exciting competition among men of science *,” 
* Vide Mr. Secretary Peel’s Letter to the President of the 
Royal Society. — Reflections, p. 115. 
