401 



deed, that the Society long divided itself into two classes, having re- 

 ference to those subjects. Essays on criticism, philology, and 

 ajsthetics, are to be found in the earlier volumes of the Transactions, 

 but for many years such papers have rarely been communicated. 

 The Council believe that such contributions would be very acceptable 

 to the Society, even should the authors not in every case deem their 

 observations sufficiently original and important to demand publica- 

 tion in extenso in the Ti-ansactions." Such was the urgent call made 

 by the Council upon the literary members of the Society ; but as 

 yet the call has been made in vain. 



I venture, in the next place, to offer a few words of counsel to 

 those who are so far engaged in science as to be conscious that, by 

 the withdrawal of a little time from their professional engagements, 

 they might contribute either to the interest of our evening meetings, 

 or to the contents of our annual publications. I distinguish between 

 these two purposes, because I consider them widely separate. The 

 ideal of a paper for the Transactions is, that it contains some new 

 important truth ; and since, by its publication, it is presented to the 

 whole scientific world, it is clear that the author should have such 

 knowledge not only of his branch of science, but also of its history, 

 as may secure him from wasting his time upon the discovery of that 

 which is already familiar to the masters of the craft. Such, I re- 

 peat, is the ideal of a paper for the Transactions, In many cases 

 snch a paper can give no gratification to the audience, and. indeed, 

 in the very best cases such papers are not read throughout. A brief 

 abstract of the purpose, method, and conclusion is all that is given ; 

 because the author is aware that, to a largo portion of his hearers, 

 the details would be uninteresting, because unintelligible ; and that 

 even those who are on a level with himself, require time fully and 

 clearly to apprehend the accuracy of his arguments and of his cal- 

 culations. 



But no such requirements and limitations apply to communications 

 made at our ordinary meetings, without any view to their being 

 afterwards published in the Transactions. Those among us who are 

 employed upon sciences of observation, and those who are watching 

 the progress of science both at home or abroad, might add much to 

 the interest of our meetings by communicating information which is 

 not positively, but only relatively new ; which might be found else- 

 where, but which would probably not be found by many who would 



