MONTHLY NOTICE. 



163 



ballot box, we have known cases in which many of these have 

 introduced half a dozen friends, and the apartment has thus 

 been filled ; also not from incompetency, as many men then 

 present, to our own knowledge, have gained high honours in 

 the science of geology, both abroad and at home ; and hence, 

 we must conclude, it was from fear — not being willing to 

 be allowed a hearing, on the ground of politeness only. A 

 confidential friend, who has attended the meetings of this 

 Society for the last eighteen years, states to us distinctly, 

 that the difference between the meetings held during the 

 " youth and " maturity of the Society, is striking—that 

 meetings which attracted in former times, on their individual 

 merits, have long since fallen off, except casually, when the 

 bon-hommie of a Sedgwick enlivens the audience, or the novel- 

 ties of a Murchison astound the ear — and that now it is a 

 great difficulty to find any assemblage beyond the President, 

 Curator, Secretary, Messrs. Fitton, De la Beche, and one or 

 two others and their friends. ^ * ^ Ji^ 



We were ourselves forcibly struck when a worthy chevalier 

 uttered a few words —on condescension, of course — on the 

 occasion of Mr. Logan's communication being submitted to 

 the Society ; and we must say candidly that this exception to 

 the rule perfectly astonished us, and we left, ere half the 

 business of the meeting was finished, convinced that we had 

 spent an unprofitable evening in the company of the Geolo- 

 gical Society of London. How difi^erent is the spirit of 

 friendly contention observed at the meetings of the Man- 

 chester Geological Society, where, as our reports will have 

 already indicated, there is a real spirit of inquiry, and a pro- 

 fitable result. We repeat again, lue had hoped better things 

 of the patriarchal Society. 



It is with feelings of deep regret that we have to record 

 this month the death of our much respected friend, Mr. 



M 2 



