Activity in the Geological Society 363 



This important paper was, in spite of its theoretical character, 

 published in full in the Transactions of the Geological Society 

 (Ser. 2, Vol. v. pp. 601—630). It did not however appear till 1840, 

 and possibly some changes may have been made in it during the long 

 interval between reading and printing. During the year 1839, Darwin 

 continued his regular attendance at the Council meetings, but there 

 is no record of any discussions in which he may have taken part, and 

 he contributed no papers himself to the Society. At the beginning 

 of 1840, he was re-elected for the third time as Secretary, but the 

 results of failing health are indicated by the circumstance that, only 

 at one meeting early in the session, was he able to attend the Council. 

 At the beginning of the next session (Feb. 1841) Bunbury suc- 

 ceeded him as Secretary, Darwin still remaining on the Council. 

 It may be regarded as a striking indication of the esteem in which 

 he was held by his fellow geologists, that Darwin remained on the 

 Council for 14 consecutive years down to 1849, though his attendances 

 were in some years very few. In 1843 and 1844 he was a Vice- 

 president, but after his retirement at the beginning of 1850, he never 

 again accepted re-nomination. He continued, however, to contribute 

 papers to the Society, as we shall see, down to the end of 1862. 



Although Darwin early became a member of the Geological 

 Dining Club, it is to be feared that he scarcely found himself in 

 a congenial atmosphere at those somewhat hilarious gatherings, 

 where the hardy wielders of the hammer not only drank port — and 

 plenty of it — but wound up their meal with a mixture of Scotch ale 

 and soda water, a drink which, as reminiscent of the "field," was 

 regarded as especially appropriate to geologists. Even after the 

 meetings, which followed the dinners, they reassembled for suppers, 

 at which geological dainties, like " pterodactyle pie" figured in the 

 bill of fare, and fines of bumpers were inflicted on those who talked 

 the "ologies." 



After being present at a fair number of meetings in 1837 and 8, 

 Darwin's attendances at the Club fell ofl'to two in 1839, and by 1841 

 he had ceased to be a member. In a letter to Lyell on Dec. 2nd, 1841, 

 Leonard Horner wrote that the day before "At the Council, I had 

 the satisfaction of seeing Darwin again in his place and looking well. 

 He tried the last evening meeting, but found it too much, but I hope 

 before the end of the season he will find himself equal to that also. 

 I hail Darwin's recovery as a vast gain to science." Darwin's probably 

 last attendance, this time as a guest, was in 1851, when Horner again 

 wrote to Lyell, "Charles Darwin was at the Geological Society's Club 

 yesterday, where he had not been for ten years — remarkably well, 

 and grown quite stout 1 ." 



1 Memoirs of Leonard Horner (privately printed), Vol. n. pp. 39 and 195. 



