58 Anniversary Meeting. [Nov. 30, 



presented itself. So very closely allied in their chemical properties 

 are the members of the groups, that it was only by an excessively 

 tedious and laborious system of fractional precipitation that Mr. 

 Crookes was able to effect a pretty fair separation. Even still, the 

 separate existence of some members of the groups is more or less 

 problematical. It is for these most painstaking researches that the 

 medal has been awarded. 



The existence, or apparent existence, of so many earths of such 

 close chemical relationship led Mr. Crookes to speculate on the possi- 

 bility that after all the molecules of what is deemed a chemical 

 element may not be absolutely alike, as chemists have almost 

 universally believed, but only very approximately so, and that what 

 is deemed the molecular weight of the substance may really be that 

 of the average of its molecules. Should such groups exist, it is 

 conceivable that by processes of very delicate chemical separation 

 they might be split up again into sub-groups, the molecules of which 

 still more nearly match one another ; so that according to this view 

 the number of groups into which an element, or what is deemed such, 

 might be split up, not, be it observed, by any dissociation, but merely 

 by a sorting of the molecules which are very nearly alike, maybe 

 somewhat indefinite. 



Chemists will not probably be disposed to give up the idea of the 

 perfect similarity of the individual molecules of elementary bodies ; 

 but it is surely legitimate for one who has worked so assiduously at 

 these difficult separations to suggest, merely as a matter for chemists 

 to think about, a possible view of the nature of elements different 

 from that to which they have been accustomed. 



The Statutes relating to the election of Council and Officers were 

 then read, and Sir James Cockle and Professor Riicker having been, 

 with the consent of the Society, nominated Scrutators, the votes of 

 the Fellows present were taken, and the following were declared duly 

 elected as Council and Officers for the ensuing year : 



President. Professor George Gabriel Stokes, M.A., D.CJL, LL.D. 

 Treasurer. John Evans, D.C.L., LL.D. 



f Professor Michael Foster, M.A., M.D. 

 Secretaries.- { The Lord jj^;^ M A> D . c L . 



Foreign Secretary. Professor Alexander William Williamson, LL.D. 



Other Members of the Council. 

 Professor Henry Edward Armstrong, Ph.D. ; Henry Bowman 



