276 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY OHAP. XI 



brought against the Royal Society, in that it ignored 

 the claims of distinguished men of Science to member- 

 ship of the Society : — 



HoDESLEA, Eastbourne 

 Dec. 9, 1892. 



My dear Mr. Clodd — Many thanks for the new 

 edition of " Bates." I was reading the Life last night 

 with great interest ; some of the letters you have printed 

 are admirable. 



Lyell is hit off to the life. I never read a more 

 penetrating character-sketcL Hooker's letter of advice is 

 as sage as might he expected from a man who practised 

 what he preached about as much as I have done. I shall 

 find material for chaff the next time my old friend and 

 I meet. 



I think you are a little hard on the Trustees of the 

 British Museum, and especially on the Royal Society. 

 The former are hampered by the Treasury and the Civil 

 Service regulations. If a Bates turned up now I doubt if 

 one could appoint him, however much one wished it, 

 unless he would submit to some idiotic examination. As 

 to the Royal Society, I undertake to say that Bates 

 might have been elected fifteen years earlier if he had so 

 pleased. But the Council cannot elect a man unless he 

 is proposed, and I always understood that it was the res 

 angiosta which stood in the way. 



It is the same witli . (Twenty years ago) the 



Royal Society awarded him the Royal Medal, which is 

 about as broad an invitation to join us as we could well 

 give a man. In fact, I do not think he has behaved weU 

 in quite ignoring it. Formerly there was a heavy 

 entrance fee as well as the annual subscription. But a 

 dozen or fifteen years ago the more pecunious Fellows 

 raised a large siim of money for the purpose of abolishing 

 this barrier. At present a man has to pay only £3 a 



