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. 



