44 
THE WERNERIAN SOCIETY. 
importance to every one who had perceived and felt 
the inconveniences resulting from the old system. 
Professor Jameson (who maybe considered the found- 
er of miueralogical science in Great Britain) had con- 
templated the object of this sketch soon after his re- 
turn from Germany; and as the public attention had 
been strongly solicited, by his valuable works, to 
one department of natural history, it was considered 
a favourable opportunity to bring together, in an or- 
ganized form, such individuals as were desirous of 
extending the bounds of our natural knowledge in 
general, without limiting the tendencies of its original 
founders. Accordingly, on the 12th January 1808, 
Professor Jameson, Doctors Wright, Macknight, 
Barclay, and Thomson, Colonel Fullerton, Messrs 
Anderson, Neill, and Walker (now Sir Patrick 
Walker) held their first meeting, and “ resolved to 
associate themselves into a society for promoting the 
study of natural history ; and in honour of the il- 
lustrious Werner of Freyberg, to assume the name 
of the Wernerian Natural History Society.” Pro- 
fessor Jameson was elected the first president ; Doc- 
tors Wright, Macknight, Barclay, and Thomson, the 
vice-presidents ; Mr Walker, the treasurer ; and Mr 
(now Dr) Neill, the secretary. Honorary and other 
members were elected — and among the first of the 
former, the Bociety has the honour of enumerating 
the illustrious names of Werner, Sir Joseph Banks, 
Kirwan, and many other celebrated individuals. At 
the same time, it was resolved that a charter should 
