“…The BSPK, for instance, is known to have acquired works on geology and mineralogy, and to have amassed a collection of curiosities and antiquities, included in which were fossils, lavas and mineral samples. 22 Likewise, the BLS established a collection of geological specimens, and several of its early members are known to have delivered papers on, or related to, geology. These members included: James McDonnell, a prominent physician who delivered a series of papers on fossils, topography and mineralogy between 1802 and 1811; the Revd Dr William Richardson, an Anglican clergyman and corresponding member of the society, who offered 'Some curious observations on Cuvier's Theory of the Earth' in April 1815; and William Knight, Professor of Natural Philosophy at the Belfast Academical Institution (BAI), who spoke on 'primary rocks' in January 1818 and described the Giant's Causeway in December 1819.…”