x Address of Mr J. W. Clark, President, 



of the Society's formation — the gathering together of observations 

 and researches that would otherwise be scattered and lost, would 

 have been promoted. 



For a few months the Society met in the lecture-room of the 

 building on the east side of what was then the Botanic Garden, 

 built in 1784 for the use of the Professor of Botany and the Jack- 

 sonian Professor, and now used by the Professor of Pathology. The 

 selection of Professor Farish as the first President doubtless deter- 

 mined this place of meeting. It was, however, obvious, as Dr Clarke 

 had pointed out, that the Society must have a home of its own as 

 soon as possible. In April, 1820 1 , arrangements were made for 

 securing the use of a house in Sidney Street, opposite to Jesus 

 Lane. The Society entered into occupation without delay, and at 

 once commenced the formation of a Museum and a Library ; for 

 among the Minutes of the first meeting " held in the new rooms," 

 1 May, 1820, we find: 



"The thanks of the Society voted to Mr Henslow for his liberal 

 donation of a valuable collection in some departments of Natural 

 History • and cabinets ordered to be procured for the reception of the 

 specimens." 



And at the next meeting (15 May) : 



"The thanks of the Society voted to Dr Clarke, Dr Haviland, and 

 Mr Bridge for books presented by them to the Society." 



Again, 13 November, 1820 : 



"The thanks of the Society voted to Mr Henslow for a valuable 

 collection of British Insects and Shells systematically arranged in the 

 new cabinet." 



The enthusiasm of those days of youth and hope is amusingly 

 illustrated by a notice of motion handed in by Dr Clarke : " that 

 communications announcing discoveries take the precedence of all 

 others." This was agreed to, in a slightly different form, 13 

 November, 1820. 



The Society was barely two years old when a project was 

 started for giving it a social as well as a scientific side, by establish- 

 ing a reading-room, amply stocked with newspapers, reviews, and 

 magazines, both English and foreign, as well as with scientific 

 journals. A meeting to carry out this scheme was held 22 May, 

 1821 ; and so warmly was it taken up that before the end "of the 

 year it was agreed that : " the establishment and funds of the 

 Reading-room shall be considered as under the control of the 

 Society." A committee consisting of the Treasurer (Mr Bridge), 



1 Minutes of the Society, 17 April, 1820. 



