314 HEROES OF SCIENCE. 



in classical honours, and in the same year he be- 

 came a fellow of the Geological Society of London, 

 and of the Linnsean Society. On leaving Oxford he 

 was entered at Lincoln's Inn, and resided in London, 

 and studied law in a special pleader's office. His 

 eyes became weak, and he was advised to give up 

 reading for a time, and to join his father in a visit 

 to Rome in 1820. In 1822 Lyell was in full corres- 

 pondence with the most prominent geologists of 

 the day, and he was doing original work, for his 

 letters show that he was interesting himself about 

 the fresh water strata of the Isle of Wight, and 

 about the bones found in Kirkdale cave, of hyaena, 

 elephant, rhinoceros, etc. His enthusiasm and 

 ability to work were recognized in the very remark- 

 able selection the Geological Society made in 

 1823. For he was then elected one of the secre- 

 taries, and his friends were Mantell and Buckland. 

 The same year he went to Paris to see the French 

 geologists and Cuvier. Cuvier was very polite, and 

 introduced Lyell to Madlle. Duvancel, his step- 

 daughter, and Lyell spoke very well of her ability 

 and engaging manners. He met Humboldt and 

 Laplace and Arago, the mathematicians and 

 astronomers of the day. 



In 1824 Lyell was interesting himself about 

 Dean Coneabeare's discovery of a plesiosaurus at 

 Lyme Regis, and the fossil was brought in triumph 

 to the rooms of the Geological Society, then estab- 

 lished at 20, Bedford Street. Then he started on a 

 geological excursion in the west of England with 



