Page:History of the Royal Astronomical Society (1923).djvu/63

 1820-30] ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY 47 will advance the objects of the said Society as far as shall be in our power : and that We will attend the usual meetings of the Society as often as we conveniently can. Provided that whenever We or any of us shall signify in writing to the Society that We are desirous of withdrawing our names therefrom, We shall, after the payment of any annual contribution which may be due by us at that period, be free from this obligation. After a few blank pages the three following names and date are entered on a separate page for some unknown reason : El Conde de Montemolin. June n, 1847. General Montenegro. Le Chevalier de Berard. No mention is made of these gentlemen in the Monthly Notice for 1847 June n, nor in the index to the volume of M.N. : the only Associate elected recently was Le Verrier. It may be presumed that three distinguished visitors were present at the meeting and were asked to inscribe their names on a page which lay just outside the list of Fellows. This begins on the following page, room being left at the top of the page for the declaration to be filled in (on each page) ; but this has never been done. The first names in the list of Fellows are those of H. T. Cole- brooke, Francis Baily, John F. W. Herschel, Davies Gilbert, William Pearson, etc. etc. After the acquisition of the Royal Charter a new declaration was written out and a new list of signatures was started on p. 7, many Fellows signing afresh (e.g. F. Baily, B. Gompertz, and Edward Riddle occur in the first dozen names of both lists). The first name of the new list is that of Francis Baily. But the existence of two lists has produced some confusion, the book having apparently been opened on more than one occasion at the wrong place ; for the name preceding Baily's (i.e. the last on p. 6) is the modern one of E. B. Knobel for Mr. J. H. Honeyburne. On p. 8 someone at some time has upset the ink, but all the signa- tures show through quite well. ASSOCIATES It has already been remarked that we may regard Peter Slawinski as the first Associate Member. The first Associate to be elected in the ordinary way was Biot, proposed in 1820 June and elected in December. Seven others were proposed in Novem-