The Centenary of the Geological Society of London. 387 
president, Sir James Hall, and a few other members to examine his 
collections in Buckingham Street (March, 1808).”’ 
The first communications brought before the Society were by 
Mr. Knight, who recorded his results obtained from melting Rowley 
Rag, and by Count Bournon, who showed specimens illustrative of 
the varieties of compact felspar. 
Two Vice-Presidents were added on January Ist, 1808, and on the 
same day a Committee appointed to draw up the regulations of the 
Society presented its statement, which was adopted. As early as 
April, 1808, a Committee was formed ‘‘to examine papers previously 
to their being read to the Society, and to take charge of all presents 
that may be received.” 
The first printed ‘‘ List of Members ’’ bears date 1808, and in 1809 
rooms were engaged, in the name of Leonard Horner, on the ground 
floor at No. 4, Garden Court, Temple, for the reception of its cabinet 
and for the meetings of the Committees. 
In 1809 a ‘‘ Plan for consolidating the Geological with the Royal 
Society as an Assistant Society” was proposed. ‘This plan seemed 
not so much an attempt at consolidation as at suppression, for it 
proposes that ‘‘the subscribing members who are Fellows of the 
Royal Society shall constitute the first class or Council of the 
Geological Society, and be invested with the power of electing 
members or making byelaws,’’ etc., while ‘‘the Royal Society may 
select such papers as it may please to read at its table and to print in 
the Philosophical Transactions,” and such other papers may either be 
deposited in the collection of the Geological Society or included in 
any publication which it may think proper to undertake at its own 
charge. This plan was very properly dismissed by resolution ‘‘ That 
the propositions communicated from the Right Hon. Charles Greville, 
having a direct tendency to render this Society dependent upon, and 
subservient to, the Royal Society, are inadmissible.” 
In March, 1809, the foundation of the present magnificent library 
was commenced, and by November the specimens in the Museum had 
been arranged geographically. 
In 1810 more extensive premises were obtained at 3, Lincoln’s Inn 
Fields; in the same year trustees were appointed, and it was decided 
that cards recording the dates of the meetings be printed and sent to 
each member prior to the commencement of the session. A Council 
was also formed, and held its first meeting on July 14th, 1810. 
The first volume of the publications of the Society, called 
Transactions, appeared in 1811, and this and the successive volumes 
are remarkable, not only for the classical papers they contain, but for 
the wealth of illustration. The Proceedings followed in 1827 as 
a method of communicating more rapidly to the Fellows the affairs of 
the Society, and these were incorporated in the well-known Quarterly 
Journal in 1845; while the present form of Abstracts of Proceedings 
dates from May 20th, 1857, although they have been technically 
published only since 1905. 
Perhaps the most important publication issued by the Society was 
Greenough’s ‘‘ Geological Map of England.” This he commenced in 
1808, knowing quite well of the existence of William Smith’s map 
