siK RODERICK J. MUKCRISON. 195 



capacity as an observer. Soon afterwards he was 

 elected one of the honorary secretaries of the Geo- 

 logical Society. "Lyell, being then a law student 

 with chambers in the Temple, could only devote a 

 portion of his time to our science, and was glad to 

 make way as secretary for one who, like myself, 

 had nothing else to do but think and dream of geology, 

 and work hard to get on in my new vocation." In 

 1826 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society, 

 not on account of his scientific work, but because he 

 was an independent gentleman with scientific tastes, 

 and with time and money to gratify them. In those 

 days the Royal Society w r as almost as much an aristo- 

 cratic as a scientific distinction. " This," he wrote 

 afterwards, " was perhaps the happiest period of my 

 life. I had shaken off the vanities of the fashionable 

 world to a good extent, w r as less anxious to know 

 titled folks and leading sportsmen, was free of all the 

 care and expense of a stable full of horses, and had 

 taken to a career in which excitement in the field 

 carried with it occupation, amusement, and possibly 

 reputation." 



The summer following was spent in settling the age 

 of the coal-field of Brora, for which he prepared 

 himself by an extensive survey of the Yorkshire 

 Oolites, during which he made the friendship of 

 Professor Phillips, and his uncle William Smith. In 

 after years, Phillips often recurred to their first 

 meeting, and told how enthusiastic and methodical 

 Murchison was, and how in their boating and walking 

 he was led to see clearly, "that strata must alone be 



