SECTION III, 1886. TRE ea TRANS. Roy. Soc. CANADA. 
L.— Presidential Address. 
By CHARLES CARPMAEL, M.A. 
(Read May 25, 1886.) 
Last year, when I was elected President of this Section, I hoped to be able to find 
ample time for the preparation of my Address. Various unforeseen circumstances have, 
however, combined to prevent me from devoting to this purpose as much time as I had 
desired, and I have been consequently obliged to confine myself to the few hastily pre- 
pared and meagre remarks which I am now about to address to you. 
Four years ago, this Society was organized by His Excellency the Marquis of Lorne, 
and as I was one of those who had the honour of being appointed by His Excellency an 
officer in this Section, it seems to me that it will not be out of place for me now, to refer 
to some of the objects which were aimed at, and to the hopes which were entertained, 
at the time of the organization of the Society, at least so far as they directly affect this 
Section. These objects were, first, to establish a bond of union between the scattered 
workers in different parts of the Dominion, by bringing them together once a year for 
interchange of ideas, and discussion of papers. Next, it was hoped that means would be 
found to publish valuable scientific papers in Canada, which otherwise would either be 
published in very inferior style or in a curtailed form, or at best appear in the transac- 
tions of foreign societies and be little known in Canada. The knowledge that a really 
valuable paper once prepared would find publication in Canada free of cost, would also, 
it was expected, act as a great stimulus to Canadian workers in Science. Another object 
of the Society was to provide a body, whom the Government might refer to when requir- 
ing information on scientific points, and who might call the attention of the Government, 
to the desirability of aiding in scientific researches which were likely to be of national 
benefit. 
With regard to the first of these objects, viz., the bringing together from time to 
time of some of the most eminent scientific workers in the Dominion, it is one of the 
utmost importance in every country. The solitary worker in Science is but too apt to get 
into one groove of thinking and working, but let him meet with others who are interested 
in the same kind of work, let him talk with them of the work he is engaged in, or listen 
to what they have to say of what they are doing, and the chances are that he will get 
some idea which will be of use to him. It may be, that he will be asked a question the 
answer to which requires a more detailed reasoning out of some point than he has yet 
given to it, and this will lead him to a more thorough grasp of his own idea; or it may 
possibly turn out, on his attempting to elaborate his proof, that his former reasoning has 
been fallacious, even if his conclusions have not been false. In such a case, if he has not 
yet written a paper on the subject, the paper when written will be free from errors which 
Sec. IIL, 1886. 1. 
