216 MEMOIR OF GEORGE WILSON. CHAP. V. 



tigations. To these we refer the reader for further mention <>{' 

 this paper. 1 



It was at this meeting that the difficulty experienced by the 

 younger scientific men in gaining the access they desired to the 

 society of those whose fame was already established, together 

 with the expense of hotel charges, led to their dining together 

 daily at a small tavern where Edward Forbes had established 

 himself. The tavern happened to be named the " Eed Lion," 

 and so pleasant was this arrangement found to be, that, before 

 leaving Birmingham, it was decided that at every future meeting 

 of the British Association, there should be a Eed Lion dinner. 

 At this dinner George Wilson never failed to be present when it 

 was in his power, though with the club afterwards formed in 

 London, and bearing the same name, he had no connexion. 



From Birmingham, George went to pay a short visit to his 

 brother, not without a faint hope that in the great metropolis a 

 sphere might be found for his energies, leading to advancement 

 for the future. " Now for London," is the close of his first letter 

 after reaching it ; " it is the old place, as noisy and as busy as 

 ever : its streets crowded, as when I left it, with handsome men 

 and beautiful women, and idlers like me, and busy people like 

 Daniel, and fools like , but I'll not say who. I wonder to 

 find it so little changed, forgetting that I have only been four 

 months absent." Daniel reports of him : " George is certainly 

 very much improved ; his successful passing, and all other 

 agreeable circumstances, have combined to produce perfect health 

 and excellent spirits. He came upon me without the previous 

 notice he had promised to give, and startled and delighted me 

 with his company. I hope his visit will be productive of good 

 in every way, and that you will get him home in very, very dif- 

 ferent health and spirits from those in which he returned after 

 the very uncomfortable winter we shared together before." 



During the three weeks of this visit the brothers spent as 

 much as possible of the time together, George going out " only 

 to look after something to do, striving to get wriggled into some 

 corner, however small, with the hopes of getting a bigger hole 

 thereafter." 



1 See APPENDIX. 



