298 J. H., MAIDEN. 
Mr. Olarke (op. cit., p. 8) says ‘“‘It (our Society) then in 
1850, after a long interval of silence and inactivity, came 
out as the ‘‘Australian Philosophical Society,”’ till in 1856, 
still contracting its territorial limits, it became represented 
by the ‘Philosophical Society of New South Wales,’’ 
merging itself in that which now represents it, on the 1st 
May, 1866.”’ 
In considering this passage, one may remember that Mr. 
Clarke was acquainted with the circumstances of the 
starting of the 1850 Society, he was one of the original 
members, and was a man with an established scientific 
reputation at the time. He was (in 1867) addressing men 
who belonged to the 1850 Society, and who presumably would 
have corrected him if he had made a wrong inference. 
Indeed, the foundation of the Society had only taken place 
seventeen years previously, not very long to look back upon. 
At p. 3, 1881, Professor Smith refers to ‘‘ the resuscita- 
tion in 1850 of the old Society, under the name of the 
‘Australian Philosophical Society’. ...’’ He must have 
known something about this Society, for he is credited in 
our record as being a member of our (this can only mean 
the 1850) Society in 1852. At that date (1881) Messrs. 
Charles Moore and R. A. A. Morehead traced their mem- 
bership back to 1850. 
He goes on tosay “‘ The 1850 Society began under favour- 
able auspices, and with influential leaders; but the gold 
fever of 1851-2 seems to have sapped its vitality, and for 
two or three years nothing is heard of it, until in July 
1855, it met once more and resolved to make a fresh start, 
under the name of the Philosophical Society of New South 
Wales. It seems that twenty-two members passed over 
from the old Society to the new, and they brought with 
them £88 (£88 1s. 6d., to be exact.—J.H.M.) to start the 
funds of the new Association.”’ 
