Notes on the History of the Royal Physical Society. 107 



upon a new lease of life ; the membership greatly increased, 

 the laws were revised, the meetings conducted in a more 

 scientific manner, and as regards the matter brought before 

 them, I need only refer to the six volumes of Proceedings 

 which appeared under Mr Gray's editorship. Many valuable 

 papers are to be found in these'volumes, the authors of which, 

 though youDg men at that time, have since come to the front 

 in their respective specialities. 



But unfortunately Mr Gray's health began to fail, and 

 symptoms of depression in the energies of the Society 

 first began to manifest themselves in the decline of the 

 attendance at the evening meetings, while financial trouble 

 began again to show its unwelcome face, brought on partly 

 by over-publication, partly by accumulation of arrears of 

 subscriptions. In 1887 occurred the lamented death of 

 Mr Gray, who, aided by the scientific friends whom his 

 engaging personality had drawn around him, had done so 

 much to raise the Society from an almost moribund condi- 

 tion to one of honour and efficiency. 



For a year and a half after this sad loss I myself performed 

 the work of Secretary, and the task I set before myself was 

 to bring the finances of the Society into a healthy condition 

 by diminishing publication for a time, so that the expenses 

 of one year should not anticipate the income of the next, and 

 in that I succeeded. 



In 1888 I gladly surrendered the post to our worthy and 

 accomplished friend Mr Evans, who, in spite of diminishing 

 membership, conducted the business in an able manner until, 

 in 1892, he was most unfortunately compelled to retire owing 

 to the then unsatisfactory state of his health. Mr Evans was 

 succeeded by the late Mr John Gunn, a man also of singular 

 geniality of nature, business capacity, and wide scientific 

 and literary sympathies, under whose guidance the Society 

 continued its good work, in spite of the fact that his speciality 

 did not lie in either zoological or geological studies. 



But the Society was only too soon to be deprived of his 

 valuable services, for in the spring of 1895 Mr Gunn suddenly 

 (lied — a victim to a then prevailing epidemic of influenza. 

 Airain I assumed the duties of Interim Secretary, and these 



