HISTORY OF OUR SOCIETY. 195 
During the Winter of 1882-83 the Society made its 
first venture on Popular Lectures, a series of four being given 
in St. George’s Hall; the Rev. H. W. Crosskey lecturing 
on “The Age of Ice in Great Britain”; Professor Tilden on 
“Water: its history, sources, and impurities”; Sir John 
Lubbock on “Savages”; and Dr. H. E. Bridgman on 
‘‘Food.”” The success of this series (the average attend- 
ance was over 500) led to another attempt in the Winter 
of 1894-95: Dr. Barfield and Mr. Wilson Hartnell giving 
two Lectures on ‘ Electricity” and ‘“ Electric Lighting” 
respectively. These were, however, less successful, for, 
although well attended, they were a financial loss, the 
whole of the balance from the previous course being re- 
quired to make up the deficiency. 
Papers by Drs. Perks, Harrow, and Morris, and Messrs. 
C. O’Sullivan, Heron, Knowles, Horace Brown, Andrews, 
Matthews, Harris, and Lyle, on such widely different subjects 
aoe tne. Bayeux Tapestry,” ‘Crystals,’ ‘Coal, ihe 
English Alphabet,” ‘‘Old Burton Manuscripts,” and ‘“ Bac- 
teria,” indicate the comprehensive character of the Society’s 
work, even at a time when interest in it was somewhat 
flagging. In order to widen the working field we had in 
1882 added the words ‘General Science” to our definition 
of the work of the Society in Rule 1, thus securing some 
of the papers above named. 
In 1885 we discontinued having Junior Members, or 
Associates, a change necessitated by our removal to the 
Institute: this move also deprived us of many other mem- 
bers who objected to the necessity of becoming members 
of the Institute. A general falling off in our total member- 
ship was thus commenced, and continued even after we 
severed our connection with the Institute. 
It was during this period that Mr. Horace Brown began 
to take an active interest in the Society, becoming our del- 
