76 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 



arising from the grant-earning side of these examina- 

 tions, his opinion as to their use has been largely 

 justified. 



The event of greatest private interest that took place 

 in 1864 was the establishment of the celebrated x Club 

 at the end of the year, as the result of a suggestion made 

 by Huxley to Hooker. The object was to secure the 

 regular meeting of a small circle of intimate friends, who 

 for various reasons were in some danger of losing touch 

 with one another. The varied branches of science were 

 represented in the persons of the nine members (no others 

 were ever admitted), and as will be seen from the 

 following list these have exerted no small influence upon 

 the progress of science : — 



1. George Busk, F.R.S. ; 2. Edward Frankland, For. 

 Sec, R.S., K.C.B. ; 3. Thomas Archer Hirst, F.R.S. ; 

 4. T. H. Huxley, F.R.S. ; 5. Joseph Dalton Hooker, 

 F.R.S., K.C.S.T.; 6. Sir John Lubbock, Bart., F.R.S., 

 M.P. ; 7. Herbert Spencer ; 8. William Spottiswoode, 

 Treasurer R.S. ; 9. John Tyndall, F.R.S. Mr. Leonard 

 Huxley justly remarks : — 



"Small as the Club was, the members of it were destined to 

 play a considerable part in the history of English science. Five 

 of them received the Royal Medal ; three the Copley ; one 

 the Rumford ; six were Presidents of the British Associa- 

 tion ; three Associates of the Institute of France ; and from 

 amongst them the Royal Society chose a Secretary, a Foreign 

 Secretary, a Treasurer, and three successive Presidents " (Life, 

 i, p. 258). 



The members of the Club dined together on the first 

 Thursday of every month, save July, August and 

 September, and there were 240 meetings in all (1864-93). 

 The first gap in the ranks was created by the death of 

 Spottiswoode in 1883. 



