PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 
269 
Editor. His time being now evidently given much more to Phrenology than to 
his other favourite study of Botany, it is probable that the printing of his enlarged 
botanical work will proceed slowly. 
The natural bent of Mr. Watson’s mind adapts him much better to the study 
of sciences involving causation and exact reasoning, than to the pursuit of Botany 
or Natural History. The leading characteristics exhibited in his writings are the 
phrenological faculties of Causality, Comparison, Individuality, and Order; those 
of Language, Eventuality, Time, and Number being less indicated. From the 
former proceeds the tendency to collect and state facts, to arrange them, and to 
reason upon them, which so much prevails in Mr. Watson’s works; whilst a 
certain abruptness of expression, a paucity of words, and a want of continuity in 
narration, are consequent on a lower endowment of the latter faculties. 
These peculiarities, combined with much Cautiousness, Destructiveness, Con- 
centrativeness, Firmness, Self-Esteem, and Benevolence, less Imitation and 
Love-of-Approbation, and much less Veneration and Wonder (in speaking of a 
phrenologist we use the terms of his own science), stamp the effusions of Mr. 
Watson’s pen with a degree of hardness and even asperity, a disregard of names 
and authorities, a refusal to take opinions on trust, and a proneness to defend any 
party or cause ungenerously assailed by others. 
Mr. Watson is the son of a strictly Tory father, and associated almost exclu¬ 
sively with persons of the same political bias until he had attained his legal 
majority. He is now a renegade from Toryism, and a Dissenter from the Church 
of England; but connected with no one party in Politics. 
* * * * * * * * * «• 
Our portrait of Mr. Watson is drawn by Mr. Haghe (himself a phrenologist), 
especial care being taken with the shape of the head, which will to a certain 
extent confirm our remarks, ante , on Mr. W.’s mental powers. 
PROCEEDINGS OF NATURAL-HISTORY SOCIETIES. 
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
The ordinary meetings were resumed Jan. 9, 1839, the Eev. Prof. Whewell, 
F.R.S., in the chair.—The members elected were the Rev. S. Wilberforce, the 
Rev. J. Binton, and Dr. Griffiths ; and among the presents announced were a 
series of maps representing the Coal-fields of Wales, from Mr. Murchison, and 
Mr. Darwin’s illustrations of the Geology of South America. Dr. Harland, 
2 n 2 
