134 THE PRESIDENCY OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY 



Hooker's auspices, this ' privileged ' non-scientific element 

 was further restricted. 1 



Next to be noted is the completion to date of the catalogue 

 of all the scientific papers published by the Society, the lack 

 of which had been a serious handicap to scientific workers. 

 The cost of preparing the catalogue was borne by the Society ; 

 that of printing by the Government. By 1875 six volumes 

 had already been issued ; two more on the same scale covering 

 the decade 1864-1873, and including 95,000 titles, appeared 

 in 1876. 



A subsidiary improvement in the publication of the Trans- 

 actions made it easier to obtain separate copies of the papers 

 when required. 



Most memorable, however, and of widest benefit to the 

 Society at large, was the idea which took shape as the final 



1 In this connexion mention may be made of Hooker's membership of 

 the Philosophical Club. At the time of his election to the Royal Society 

 (April 22, 1847) there was much dissatisfaction owing to the indiscriminate 

 election of men of rank and fashion to the Fellowship, often to the neglect of 

 real workers in science. A strong reforming party, in opposition to the then 

 president, the Marquis of Northampton, and many influential Fellows, had 

 carried a resolution in favour of the present system of election, with a limit of 

 fifteen each year, selected and recommended by the Council from the whole 

 body of candidates. Hooker himself was among the last batch elected under 

 the old rules. 



The leading advocates of this and other reforms were Sir Henry De la Beche, 

 Sir William Grove, Leonard Homer, and Sir Charles Lyell, all intimate friends 

 of Hooker's. On April 12, 1847, the reformers and a number of friends met 

 and decided to found a dining club to be called ' The Philosophical Club ' its 

 objects the discussion of questions affecting the prosperity of the R.S. and the 

 provision of opportunities for the early announcement and discussion of new 

 discoveries. It was resolved that the number of members be forty-seven, to 

 commemorate the date of foundation, and at the third meeting, on June 3, 

 Hooker was one of those co-opted to make up the number. He was very 

 regular in his attendance both before and after his journey to India, and in 

 1854 became Treasurer. 



The Club played a useful part in its informal work for science, though for 

 Hooker its personal attraction was eclipsed by that of the x Club from 1863 

 onwards. So long as the meetings of the R.S. were held in the evenings, both 

 the Philosophical and its antitype the Royal Society Club (founded in 1743) 

 were well attended ; but when the R.S. meetings were held in the afternoons, 

 there was a great falling off. Proposals were made for fusion of the two 

 clubs, for the old grounds of difference had disappeared. Of the three original 

 members surviving, Sir William Grove and Sir William Bowman somewhat 

 reluctantly consented ; Hooker stood out, saving that there might still b<3 work 

 for the Club to do in resisting abuses. His final regret, in a farewell letter to 

 the Treasurer, Professor Judd, after the last meeting he attended on April 24, 

 1890, his 43rd anniversary, was the inevitable move with the times which had 

 substituted more elaborate menus for the old time simplicity of the dinners. 



