464 Appendix. 



The character of Mr. Binney was a remarkable one : he had 

 many of the characteristics of a great man, many of those of a 

 little one. He would often take a wonderful pleasure in pleasing, 

 and often seemed not to care how he hurt. He admired progress, 

 but kept his habits unchanged, and his opinions, right or wrong, 

 on almost all subjects and persons ; he admired nature, yet he 

 never made a journey much out of his way to see any of the great 

 and beautiful things of the world. He had some fine poetic 

 feelings as to the condition of creation, and some large views, but 

 he never read books of literature, and was contented with those 

 early known to him. He was really shy, and one may say in a 

 sense, timid, yet roused he was defiant of every one. He was a 

 gentle and pleasant companion, a most uncompromising foe. He 

 was a most careful observer of many things, and yet not diligent 

 enough to write them down ; he delighted to cogitate on subjects 

 without noting the results. 



Mr. Binney died at Cheetham Hill, Manchester, on December 

 19, 1881. 



Dr. Joule presented the Society with an admirable portrait of 

 Mr. Binney by Mr. W. H. Johnson, and it hangs on the walls of 

 the meeting room as a characteristic remembrance of a man who 

 has been a friend, pleasant, sympathetic and wise, during an inti- 

 macy which to a few of us in the Society has lasted nearly forty 

 years, His family have reason to thank him, and scientific 

 history will not soon forget his labours among vegetation of the 

 past, illustrating calm days in which coal grew to enrich us, or 

 among the boulders and till, explaining the method in which they 

 were deposited, making for us a pleasant or interesting land to 

 dwell in. 



