407 



der the preparation of a good volume of Transactions more difficult 

 in the present day than at any former period ; and these difficulties 

 are not peculiar to our Society, but are felt, I believe, by all similar 

 institutions. The first of these is the multiplication of scientific 

 societies, each devoted to some particular branch — Chemical, Astro- 

 nomical, Geological, and Botanical. Whether science is more effec- 

 tively promoted by such specific associations, or by those which, 

 like our own, give a general admission to contributions in every 

 branch of science, I do not take upon me to say. The practice of all 

 the civilized nations in maintaining, under some designation or other, 

 an academy of science, and giving to it a pre-eminence above socie- 

 ties working in a limited field, shows I think a general feeling that 

 the necessity for the former is not superseded by the multiplication of 

 the latter. And there are reasonable grounds for this feeling. The 

 dictum of the orator in accounting for his interest in the poet is so 

 universally admitted as almost to have passed into a proverb : 

 " Etenini onines artes quae ad humanitatem pertinent, habent quod- 

 dam commune vinculum, et quasi cognatione quadani inter se con- 

 tinentur." To strengthen this vinculum and relationship is not the 

 least important office of the Royal Society : and therefore whatever 

 attraction our members may find in societies instituted for the ex- 

 clusive promotion of their own favourite pursuits, they will, I trust, 

 never abandon their allegiance to science in the largest acceptation 

 of the term, nor their co-operation with that society which gives a 

 cordial reception to every art, iice ad humanitatem pertinet. 



Still I fear that such specific societies, whether publishing their 

 own transactions, or sending them to the various specific journals, 

 must draw away many valuable papers, which at an earlier period 

 would have found no convenient channel of publication but in the 

 pages of our Transactions. This turning of our supplies into other 

 channels it is impossible for us to prevent ; and so that science is 

 promoted, we ought not to care very deeply whether this is done 

 through us or through others. But a generous emulation is some- 

 thing very different from an envious rivalry ; and the activity and 

 success of other scientific societies ought to stimulate those of our 

 brethren who have already proved their competence, to continued 

 and increased exertions to promote the usefulness and the reputa- 

 tion of the Society. 



And now I must refer to a subject, which, indeed, if we be a So- 



