4 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



Unfortunately, like some other societies, it had its decay 

 and decline, and, after a brief existence of about twelve years, 

 it ceased to exist. On 6th Febuary 1841, the society was dis- 

 solved, and its books and herbarium were divided between the 

 Royal Medical and the Hunterian Medical Societies. 



In its flourishing days this Society was supported mainly 

 by students, and it is probable that its -decline may be attri- 

 buted in some measure to the want of some zealous senior 

 members resident in Edinburgh, who, by associating with stu- 

 dents in practical natural history, would have kept up the 

 vigour of the Society. 



We now come to another Natural History Society, the na- 

 ture of which differed essentially from that of the Plinian and 

 other student-societies, and whose period of existence ex- 

 tended over more than forty years, but which has also come 

 to a termination — I mean the Wernerian Natural History So- 

 ciety. This Society owed its origin to Professor Jameson, 

 whose enthusiastic devotion to natural history, and whose 

 eminence in mineralogy rendered his name famous all over 

 the world. TheSociety thus instituted by him was restricted 

 to senior naturalists. While it lasted, it rendered good ser- 

 vice to science, and by the publication of its valuable Memoirs 

 acquired a wide-spread reputation. 



The Wernerian Society commenced in 1808, and the fol- 

 lowing is the record of its foundation : — 



College Museum, Edinburgh, 12th January 1808. 



The following gentlemen being met, viz. : — 



Robert Jameson, F.R.S.E., Professor of Natural History. 



William Wright, M.D., F.R.SS. L. & E. 



Thomas Macknight, D.D , F.R.S.E. 



John Barclay, MJ)., F.R.S.E., Lecturer on Anatomy. 



Thomas Thomson, M.D., F.R.S.E., Lecturer on Chemistry. 



Col. Stewart Murray Fullerton of Bartonholm. 



Charles Anderson, M.D., F.R.C.S.E. 



Patrick Walker, F.L.S., Advocate. 



Patrick Neill, A.M. 



They resolved to associate themselves into a society for the 

 purpose of promoting the study of Natural History; and 



