on resigning office, 27 October, 1890. ix 



Philosophical Society, by their assiduity and diligence in its support, 

 and by their conspicuous zeal for the honour and well-being of the 

 University, will prove to other times that their Lives, and their Studies, 

 have not been in vain." 



At this meeting the designation of the Society was altered. 

 The third Minute runs : 



"That the words 'and Natural History' be added to the second 

 regulation, which will then stand as follows, viz. ' That this Society 

 be instituted for the purpose of promoting scientific enquiries and of 

 facilitating the communication of facts connected with the advancement 

 of Philosophy and Natural History.' " 



The change is slight, but not unimportant, for it determined, 

 for many years, the direction of the Society's labours. Before long, 

 thanks to the enthusiasm and industry of Professor Henslow and 

 Mr Leonard Jenyns, it commenced the formation of a Museum, 

 long the only Zoological Museum in Cambridge ; and the legitimate 

 parent of those collections which I may venture to describe as 

 among the most valued possessions of the University. 



The Society was now fairly launched ; the Syndics of the 

 University Press undertook to publish the Transactions free of 

 charge ; the number of members increased so rapidly that before 

 the end of 1820 it had reached 171 ; the finances were in so 

 flourishing a condition that £300 was invested in the funds 1 ; and 

 opposition gradually died away. " Among the senior members of 

 the University," wrote Sedgwick to Herschel, 26 February, 1820, 

 " some laugh at us ; others shrug up their shoulders and think our 

 whole proceedings subversive of good discipline ; a much larger 

 number look on us, as they do on every other external object, with 

 philosophic indifference ; and a small number are among our warm 

 friends 2 ." 



It was further agreed at the first meeting of the Society: "that 

 the High Steward of the University, and the Vice-Chancellor for 

 the time being be Vice-Patrons of the Society " ; and at the second 

 meeting : "that the members of the Cambridge Philosophical Society 

 be designated by the name Fellows of the Cambridge Philosophical 

 Society." Early in the following year Dr Clarke proposed : " that 

 the Society be hereafter styled The Cambridge Philosophical and 

 Literary Society." This proposal was not adopted, as I have 

 always thought, most unfortunately. The name would have 

 cemented a connexion between science and literature from which 

 both would have reaped considerable advantage. As time went on 

 the Transactions of the Society would probably have had a literary 

 division, as is not uncommon on the continent ; and the first object 



1 Minutes of the Society, 21 February, 1820. 



2 Life of Rev. A. Sedgwick, Vol. i. p. 209. 



