126 Charles Darwin. 



Academy, and so the prophecy of his schoolmate, 

 who was impressed by his devotion to beetle col- 

 lecting, came true sooner than either expected. He 

 read several papers before both societies, one espe- 

 cially on the Rhea Americanus attracting attention. 

 Another paper, read before the Geological Society, 

 was on the " Connection of Volcanic Phenomena 

 with the Elevation of Mountain Chains," of which 

 Lyell says : " He opened upon De la Beche, Phil- 

 lips, and others " — the veterans of the science — " his 

 whole battery of the earthquakes and volcanoes of 

 the Andes." 



Darwin was now contemplating the production of 

 the important results of his trip, the zoology of the 

 voyage of the Beagle, and, aided by other naturalists, 

 he endeavoured to obtain Government cooperation 

 in the illustration and making of plates. To the 

 petition he secured the names of nearly all the 

 prominent naturalists, including that of the Duke of 

 Somerset, who was then president of the Linnaean 

 Society — also Lord Derby, — and a month later 

 received a Government grant of $5,000. 



Darwin's geological notes had attracted wide-spread 

 notice, especially the fact that he had brought back 

 many undescribed species, and in 1837 ^^ was ten- 

 dered the honourable position of secretary of the 

 Geological Society, which he accepted with some 

 little reluctance, owing to the demands upon his 

 time that the duties would entail. 



Darwin occasionally found leisure to go into so- 

 ciety, and some of the most delightful hours were 

 spent at the house of his friend Professor Henslow, 



