THE 



GEOLOGICAL MAGAZINE. 



NEW SERIES. DECADE IV. VOL. III. 



No. IX.— SEPTEMBER, 1896. 



ozrio-iilt-A-Xj aeticles. 



I. — The Pal^iontographical Society of London. 

 (PLATE XIII.) 



AMONGST the various interesting scientific events which this 

 year has witnessed, none has probably been more heartily 

 welcomed or more cordially honoured than the Jubilee of the 

 Palseontographical Society, which was celebrated on the 19th June 

 last. 



The annual general meeting was held on that day, under the 

 chairmanship of Dr. Henry Woodward, F.R.S., F.G.S. (the President- 

 elect), at the rooms of the Geological Society, Burlington House; 

 and the Council availed themselves of the occasion to give a brief 

 account of the early history and subsequent progress of the Society. 



The origin was mainly due to the prior issue of Sowerby's 

 " Mineral Conchology," of which the first part appeared in June, 

 1812, and was followed by other parts for over thirty years. The 

 portions of this work were brought out slowly and irregularly, and 

 rarely illustrated more than ten species at one time. During the 

 publication of this contribution to geological science, an association 

 was formed (about the year 1886) called " The London Clay 

 Club," the members of which were enthusiastic collectors of the 

 shells of the Tertiary deposits in the neighbourhood of the Metro- 

 polis. At one of the meetings of the club about the year 1845, 

 the late Dr. (then Mr.) J. S. Bowerbank suggested that as the 

 " Mineral Conchology," at its then rate of issue, could not possibly 

 depict all the British fossils within a moderate period, it would be 

 well to have recourse to a new method. A proposition was -imme- 

 diately offered that subscriptions should be solicited for a larger and 

 more complete publication. The idea was favourably received ; Mr. 

 Sowerby was asked to undertake the copper-plate engraving, and 

 many geologists living in different parts of the country were com- 

 municated with. In the furtherance of this project, Mr. Bowerbank 

 laboured with much zeal and energy. At the time it was considered 

 that in five and twenty years all the British fossils would be figured. 



On March 23, 1847, a meeting was held at the apartments of 

 the Geological Society, Somerset House, with Sir Henry De la Beche 



DECADE IV. VOL. HI. NO. IX. 25 



