i.] ANTECEDENTS. 25 



openings for indirect influence. The reason 

 for the abstinence of clergymen from scientific 

 work cannot be that they are too busy, too much 

 home - tied, or cramped in pecuniary means, 

 because other professional men, more busy, 

 more at the call of others, and having less 

 assured revenues, are abundantly represented on 

 all the council lists. 



Not caring to trust my unaided recollections, 

 I have examined the council lists of ten 

 scientific societies at or near the three periods, 

 1850, 1860, 1870. There have been changes 

 in some of the societies, and there are many 

 trifling peculiarities of detail, tedious and un- 

 necessary here to deal with, but the following 

 statement is substantially correct. The ordinary 

 members of council are on a rough general 

 average 20 in number to each of the following 

 societies : (1) Eoyal ; (2) British Association ; 

 (3) Astronomical ; (4) Chemical ; (5) Geological ; 

 (6) Linneean ; (7) Zoological ; (8) Geographical ; 

 (9 and 10) the two predecessors of the recently- 

 established Anthropological Institute, viz. Eth- 

 nological and Anthropological; (11) Statistical. 



