XII THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



February 1st, 1917. 



To His Excellency the Duke of Devonshire, K.C, G.C.V.O., 

 Governor General of Canada, 

 Government House, 

 Ottawa, Ont. 



Sir, 



The Royal Society of Canada begs leave to offer you a most 

 sincere and earnest welcome to this country. 



The Society was founded in the year 1882 by one of your 

 distinguished predecessors in the Government of Canada, the late 

 Duke of i^rgyll (then the Marquis of Lome.) In the following 

 year it was incorporated by Act of Parliament, its objects as 

 therein set forth being to encourage studies and investigations 

 in literature and science, to offer prizes or other inducements for 

 valuable papers on subjects relating to Canada, and to publish 

 annually or semi-annually records of the work performed and 

 papers and memoirs of merit. 



After an existence of 34 years the Society may be said to have 

 had a large measure of success in accomplishing the purposes for 

 which it was founded. 



Its transactions are published quarterly and are also collected 

 in an annual volume; and through its various corresponding 

 societies and institutions, as well as in other ways, they are widely 

 distributed, and it is believed are highly appreciated. Annual 

 meetings are held for the reading and discussion of papers. To 

 these the public are freely admitted, and every effort is made to 

 direct the activities of the Society in lines of public usefulness. 



Since the present unhappy war broke out several of our mem- 

 bers have been usefully engaged in active service in various 

 capacities in which their professional attainments render them 

 valuable to the cause of Great Britain and her allies. At its last 

 annual meeting the Society memorialized the Government on the 

 importance of organizing the scientific forces of the Dominion 

 to aid in the vigorous and efficient prosecution of the war, and in 

 the development of Canadian industries to meet present condi- 

 tions and those which will prevail after the war. The society 

 offered its services collectively and individually for this work, 

 and it is a subject for congratulation that the Government has 

 established an Honorary Advisory Council for Scientific and 

 Industrial Research. The Council consists of eleven members, 

 five of whom are Fellows of the Society, and the Chairman is its 

 President. 



