PROCEEDINGS OF SUCIETIES. 159 
upon my own life, I find that success has been the exception, and 
failure the rule; and yet we constantly hear only of successes. It 
is so in all societies; and I confess that when I hear a gentleman 
say, “I thought so and so, I went and tried it, and it was as 
I thought,” I cannot quite believe all that he says. I think we 
most of us fail before we can succeed in anything ; and therefore 
our failures are not failures in reality—they are the first steps in 
investigations which, patiently followed, ultimately lead to success. 
Our failures are, therefore, important studies, and I think that a 
paper upon them would be likely to have a practical interest before 
a practical society like this. Give us failures sometimes—they are 
links in the chain of experiment which we cannot afford to lose. 
Then I have received several letters since I have become your 
President, and some of the writers seem to hope for great things 
in me; but I wish to say that I will use my utmost energies 
against some of the proposals which have reached me. Some have 
said, for instance, “ Why not double the subscription, if you want 
more money?’ But I say in reply that any society which 
breaks faith with its old members, would do itself a very great in- 
jury, and I shall use all my influence against anything of the 
kind. Increase your members, if you like; let us each endeavour 
to add at least one member to the Society, and we may do some 
good, and place the Society in a very much better position. I 
think it is to be regretted that we cannot have a room to our- 
selves, or be able to meet at Burlington House. It would bea 
great advantage, no doubt, if the different societies, such as the 
Photographic, the Meteorological, and others, could unite in this 
respect. JI am sure that the money paid for several establish- 
ments and several servants by these societies, if united and devoted 
to one suite of rooms, and to a less number but better paid ser- 
vants, would almost be enough for us all, and we should do much 
better in every way. 
The Council of this Society has a lively interest in the subject, 
and an earnest desire to spread energy, and give its members every 
facility, both in the use of the library and microscopes; I am 
sure that any suggestions which may be made to them will be 
readily attended to. A gentleman urged at the last meeting that 
we should have committees of classes; that is to say, something 
upon a plan such as has been followed by the Tyne-side Natu- 
ralists’ Club—meetings at which members are in the habit of 
stating their experience or knowledge of a particular matter, and 
then the whole is brought under some sort of classification. In 
this way members may be induced to bring forward matters which 
would otherwise, perhaps, be entirely lost; and so really a great 
deal of good is done. I do not know whether that is a practice 
which could be followed in this Society, but it certainly is well 
worthy of consideration, and is a subject which might well be 
brought before the Council at a future time. 
I do not know that I have much more to say than this, gentle- 
men. Iam only speaking to you as the representative of the 
