148 Proceedings of Philosophical Societies, [Feb. 



these branches of science, the first of great utility to agriculture, 

 and the latter, to medicine. 



Sir H. Davy then expressed his conviction that the spirit of 

 philosophy, awakened by the great masters, Bacon and Newton, 

 would guide the future proceedings of the Fellows of the Royal 

 Society. The sober and cautious method of inductive reasonings 

 of these great philosophers, he described as the germ of truth and 

 of permanency in all the sciences ; and he trusted that those 

 who were so fortunate as to kindle the light of new discoveries 

 would use them, not for the purpose of dazzling the organs of 

 intellectual vision, but rather to enlighten, by showing objects in 

 their true form and colours. 



A hope was also expressed by the President, that our philoso- 

 phers will attach no undue importance to hypotheses, treating 

 them rather as parts of the scafiblding of the building of science 

 than as belongmg to its foundations, materials, or ornaments ; 

 that they will look where it is possible, to practical applications 

 in science, without forgetting the dignity of their pursuit, the 

 noblest end of which is to exalt the powers of the human mind, 

 and to increase the sphere of intellectual enjoyment, by enlarg- 

 ing our views of nature, and of the power, wisdom, and goodness, 

 of the author of nature. 



After alluding to the right which the Royal Society had to 

 expect proofs of the zeal of those members in promoting its pro- 

 gress who had not yet contributed to it ; and after stating that 

 the Society would always consider the success of past, as pledges 

 of future contributions, the President concluded a brief but 

 luminous and impressive review of the present state of the 

 sciences, with observing, " For myself, I can only say that I 

 shall be most happy to give, in any way, assistance, either by 

 advice, or experiments, in promoting the progress of discovery. 

 And though your good opmion has, as it were, honoured me 

 with a rank similar to that of a General, I shall be always happy 

 to act as a private soldier in the ranks of science." 



" Let us then labour together," said the President, *' and 

 steadily endeavour to gain what are, perhaps, the noblest objects 

 of ambition — conquests in the field of natural knowledge ; acqui- 

 sitions which may be useful to our fellow creatures. Let it not 

 be said that at a period when our empire was at the highest pitch 

 of greatness, the sciences began to decline : let us rather hope 

 that posterity will find in our records proofs that we were not 

 unworthy of the times in which we lived." 



Jan. 18. — A paper of Dr. Davy's was read, giving an account 

 of his inquiries relative to the urinary organs, and secretion of 

 two species of rana common in Ceylon : from which it appears, 

 first, that the bladder of the bull frog and brown toad (the two 

 species in question) is a genuine receptacle of urine, which it 

 receives from the cloaca, in which the ureters terminate ; and 



