Ixxx. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



was impressed inside it. In this case portions of the leaves 

 are still adhering to the backs of the seals, and three of the 

 " rush rings " are in situ, the other two having come off. I 

 feel that this must be the " rush ring " of the song, "I'll 

 marry thee with a rush ring " ; it is so appropriate in 

 size and otherwise, and looks as if it might have been made 

 round the finger ; but perhaps some of our Members more 

 learned in these matters can. enlighten me. 



GENERAL. 



The Royal Society celebrated last July its 250th 

 anniversary, a great number of foreign delegates being 

 present from all parts of the world. In this enlightened age 

 we may sometimes be tempted to undervalue and even to 

 smile at some of the knowledge which passed for science 250 

 years ago ; but we must remember that to start anything 

 that ultimately proves worth having is a much more difficult 

 thing than merely to elaborate something already in existence 

 the man who draws an original beautiful pattern out of his 

 head shews much greater talent than he who copies it with a 

 few improvements. Even in our own time scientific ideas 

 have undergone great changes by such discoveries as that of 

 radium, and there is no knowing how much the next genera- 

 tion of scientists may scorn the science of 1913, through fresh 

 wonderful discoveries. In one way the early members of the 

 Royal Society differed much from more recent ones there was 

 comparatively little specialism, but each took a general 

 interest and probably knew a good deal about other things 

 besides his own special hobby. Now specialists seem 

 necessary if any new discoveries are to be made, for the mass 

 of information and literature in all branches is so enormous 

 that no man could probably master it all, and could do but 

 little unless he confined himself to that branch. But it is a 

 misfortune that it must be so, for you cannot draw a 



