i8 4 9 GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND CLUB 143 



The meetings of the Geological Society are briefly 

 noticed in the diary. Thus under date the 3rd January 

 we get an amusing glimpse of the Council : ' Geo- 

 logical Council to-day. Tough fighting about the 

 Museum Committees. Greenough at five began to 

 speak, and said he could not speak for less than an 

 hour. Dismay reigned. However, he was stopped, 

 and the debate adjourned. Club dinner after ; small 

 but pleasant party. I sat between Sir Charles Lyell 

 and Forbes. So-so night at the Society after. I 

 spoke a few words on the Ridgeway cutting. Sir 

 Roderick Murchison was there the first time I have 

 seen him for nearly two years. He has given up the 

 wig on the Continent, and looks much better in con- 

 sequence.' 



Sir Henry's tenure of office as President of the 

 Society would terminate at the anniversary in 

 February, and Lyell had been nominated as his suc- 

 cessor. The new President takes the chair at the 

 annual dinner which is held on the evening of the 

 anniversary, and it is his part to invite such official or 

 other guests as he may wish to be present. Lyell had 

 now this arduous and troublesome duty to discharge. 

 Ramsay writes under date the loth February : ' Lyell 

 with us a long time, anxious and waiting. He is beating 

 up prodigiously for big-wigs to attend the Geological 

 dinner, and will be miserable unless Sir Robert Peel 

 be there. Sir R. ran over the new Museum this 

 morning with Sir H. and Dr. Buckland. He was 

 (says Sir H.) " charmed." He said the building of it 

 was an act performed in his administration on which 

 he could always look back with pleasure.' 



The anniversary of the Geological Society took 

 place on the i6th February, when De la Beche gave 



