66 Royal Society. 



numerous, and your Council have had no difficulty, though acting 

 under a heavy responsibility, in pointing out to you the required 

 number of persons in every way worthy of the Fellowship. 



So far the present system of election appears to me to have worked 

 extremely well. The Fellowship is sought for as a high honour, and 

 here, as at the Universities, the claims of the respective candidates are 

 tested by responsible persons. 



In this, the Royal Society differs from every other Society ; and 

 I think upon the preservation of that distinction, the welfare, the 

 position, perhaps the existence of our Society depends. For 150 

 years the Royal Society stood alone ; unaided it bore the whole 

 labour of wielding the power of Association, in the cause of pro- 

 gressing science. Recently other Societies were formed to meet more 

 fully the wants of individual sciences ; not as rivals to the Royal 

 Society, (in all of them our Fellows have held very prominent places) 

 but as the most friendly allies; not dependent on the Royal Society, 

 but fully admitting its pre-eminence. 



These Societies have rendered important services; much has been 

 eflfected through their means which otherwise would not have been 

 attempted. Science has been carried out by them in the utmost 

 detail. Besides, it is a law of human nature, that we usually form 

 a high estimate of the importance of the pursuit we are engaged in; 

 and in a Society limited to one science, that feeling will necessarily 

 predominate, and will act as a stimulus to exertion. Under its in- 

 fluence, labour will be cheerfully borne, from which under other cir- 

 cumstances we should recoil with disgust. That feeling, however, 

 would proceed too far wei-e there not here a power to restrain it : 

 you hold that power : you exercise a presiding influence over all the 

 Societies. The leading members of the scientific bodies have their 

 places here, and science is fully represented. 



You look at science as a whole, and }'ou weigh the value of every 

 new discovery as adding to the mass of human knowledge. The 

 honour of contributing to your Transactions is eagerly sought for, 

 the medals you award are in high estimation, and science is stimu- 

 lated to its grandest efl'orts, because you are viewed by all as just 

 and able judges. 'J'o hold securely that proud position, learning 

 must be your distinguishing attribute; in the altered state of things 

 it is learning which fits you for your new duties, and so long as the 

 Fellowship is regarded as the reward of services in the cause of 

 science of no common order, or of proved scientific eminence at the 

 universities, so long, 1 think, we may predict with confidence that 

 the Royal Society will flourish. 



Dec. 15.— Thomas Bell, Esq., V.P. in the Chrtir. 



The following communications were read : — 



1 . Extract of a Letter from Dr. Edward Vogcl to Colonel Sabine, 

 dated Mourzuk, Oct. 14, 1853. 



" You will receive through the Foreign Office a packet of Astro- 

 nomical, Meteorological, and Magnetical Observations, made on the 



