Ehrenberg’s Discoveries—Notices of Eminent Men. 119 
especially the collection of diamonds of Sir Abraham Hume, of 
which a description, illustrated with plates, was published in 
1816. Some years before this period a few lovers of mineralogy 
met at stated times at the house of Dr. Babington, whose influ- 
ence in preparing the way for the formation of this Society was 
mentioned with just acknowledgment in the President’s Address, 
in 1834, by Mr. Greenough; and certainly he, more fitly perhaps 
than any other person, could speak of the merits and services of 
his fellow laborers. Of the number of these Sir Abraham Hume 
was one; although not, I believe, one of those who showed their 
zeal for the pursuits which associated them by holding their 
Meetings at the hour of seven in the morning, the only time of 
the day which Dr. Babington’s professional engagements allowed 
him to devote to social enjoyments of this nature. 
Out of the meetings to which I refer this Society more imme- 
diately sprung. The connection of mineralogy with geology is 
somewhat of the nature of that of the nurse with the healthy child 
born to rank and fortune. -The foster-mother, without being 
even connected by any close natural relationship with her charge, 
Supplies it nutriment in its earliest years, and supports it in its 
first infantine steps; but is destined, it may be, to be afterwards 
left in comparative obscurity by the growth and progress of her 
vigorous nursling. Yet though geology now seeks more various 
and savoury food from other quarters, she can never cease to look 
k with regard and gratitude to the lap in which she first sat, 
and the hands that supplied her early wants. And our warm ac- 
knowledgments must on all due occasions be paid to those who 
zealously cultivated mineralogy, when geology as we now under- 
Stand the term, hardly existed; and who, when the nobler and 
mote expansive science came before them, freely and gladly trans- 
ferred to that their zeal and their munificence. 
The spirit which prevailed in the infancy of this Society, and 
to Which the Society owed its permanent existence, was one 
Which did not shrink from difficulties and sacrifices ; and among 
the persons who were animated by this spirit Sir Abraham Hume 
was eminent ; his purse and his exertions being always at the 
SetVice of the body. He gave his labors also to the Society by 
taking the office of Vice-President, which he discharged with 
diligence from 1809 to 1813. He died in March last at the great 
age of ninety, being then the oldest person both in this and in the 
Royal Society. - 
