Union of Scientific Societies 33 



had cordially received the proposal of occasional meetings, 

 and were continuing their enquiries. Mr. Hopkins and Mr. 

 Grove thought that conversational soirees would do little 

 good unless they had the definite aim of advancing that 

 union of different societies which had been already so 

 frequently discussed. Sir H. T. de la Beche considered 

 that the main object of these meetings would be to pave 

 the way to a more permanent juxtaposition or consolidation 

 of scientific societies. 



At the third Anniversary Meeting (April 2gth), Dr. Royle 

 was elected Treasurer in place of Mr. Grove, who retired 

 under Rule VII., but, as ill-health obliged the former to 

 resign at the next anniversary (April 28th, 1851), Mr. Grove 

 was then re-elected. 



1852. The Committee on the Juxtaposition of Societies 

 submitted to the Club, at its meeting on Feb. 26th, a memo- 

 randum which they recommended should be forwarded to 

 the President of the Royal Society, and of which the following 

 is a summary. Beginning by recapitulating the advantages 

 of bringing together the societies cultivating Natural 

 Knowledge, while retaining their independent action and 

 existence, it states that these would require a suite of apart- 

 ments to contain their several libraries, and three or four 

 rooms of different sizes, in which their meetings might 

 be held on different days in the week, an arrangement 

 which would combine the advantages of devotion to a special 

 object with those of concentration. These libraries also, 

 while retaining their individual distinctness, would become 

 virtually parts of one library of science, and be more available 

 for reference than when dispersed as at present. This 

 arrangement would also diminish the expenses of the societies. 

 Certain members of the Club 1 were requested to ascertain 

 the views of the above-named four societies on this question. 



At the meeting on March 25th, Dr. Hooker reported that 

 he had consulted about two dozen members of the Linnean 

 Society, including the President, who were unanimously 



1 Six for the Linnean and the Geological, four for the Chemical, and 

 three for the Astronomical Society. 



C 



