Activity in the Geological Society 363 
This important paper was, in spite of its theoretical character, 
published in full in the Transactions of the Geological Society 
(Ser. 2, Vol. v. pp. 601—630). It did not however appear till 1840, 
and possibly some changes may have been made in it during the long 
interval between reading and printing. During the year 1839, Darwin 
continued his regular attendance at the Council meetings, but there 
is no record of any discussions in which he may have taken part, and 
he contributed no papers himself to the Society. At the beginning 
of 1840, he was re-elected for the third time as Secretary, but the 
results of failing health are indicated by the circumstance that, only 
at one meeting early in the session, was he able to attend the Council. 
At the beginning of the next session (Feb. 1841) Bunbury suc- 
ceeded him as Secretary, Darwin still remaining on the Council. 
It may be regarded as a striking indication of the esteem in which 
he wag held by his fellow geologists, that Darwin remained on the 
Council for 14 consecutive years down to 1849, though his attendances 
were in some years very few. In 1843 and 1844 he was a Vice- 
president, but after his retirement at the beginning of 1850, he never 
again accepted re-nomination. He continued, however, to contribute 
‘papers to the Society, as we shall see, down to the end of 1862. 
Although Darwin early became a member of the Geological 
Dining Club, it is to be feared that he scarcely found himself in 
a congenial atmosphere at those somewhat hilarious gatherings, 
where the hardy wielders of the hammer not only drank port—and 
plenty of it—but wound up their meal with a mixture of Scotch ale 
and soda water, a drink which, as reminiscent of the “field,” was 
regarded as especially appropriate to geologists. Even after the 
meetings, which followed the dinners, they reassembled for suppers, 
at which geological dainties, like “pterodactyle pie” figured in the 
bill of fare, and fines of bumpers were inflicted on those who talked 
the “ologies.” 
After being present at a fair number of meetings in 1837 and 8, 
Darwin’s attendances at the Club fell off to two in 1839, and by 1841 
he had ceased to be a member. Ina letter to Lyell on Dec. 2nd, 1841, 
Leonard Horner wrote that the day before “At the Council, I had 
the satisfaction of seeing Darwin again in his place and looking well. 
He tried the last evening meeting, but found it too much, but I hope 
before the end of the season he will find himself equal to that also. 
T hail Darwin’s recovery as a vast gain to science.” Darwin’s probably 
last attendance, this time as a guest, was in 1851, when Horner again 
wrote to Lyell, “Charles Darwin was at the Geological Society’s Club 
yesterday, where he had not been for ten years—remarkably well, 
and grown quite stout.” 
1 Memoirs of Leonard Horner (privately printed), Vol. 1. pp. 39 and 195. 
