306 Anniversary Meeting. 



its report. More recently, in July, the Council, at the request of 

 H.M. Secretary for Colonial Affairs, appointed a Committee to con- 

 sider, and if necessary to investigate, in conjunction with Surgeon- 

 Major Bruce, who has made important researches in the matter, the 

 disease caused in cattle in Africa by the Tsetse Fly. The Committee 

 is still engaged on the inquiry. 



We believe that the Council, in cordially responding to requests 

 like the above, and in freely placing at the disposal of H.M. Govern- 

 ment its scientific knowledge and its acquaintance with scientific 

 men, is performing one of its most important functions. The 

 Council of the Royal Society is again and again called upon to 

 approach H.M. Government on behalf of the interests of science, and 

 when it does so always meets with a cordial reception and a respect- 

 ful hearing, even on occasions when public necessities prevent a 

 favourable reply being given to its requests. In return, the Council 

 believes it to be its duty (when called upon to do so), not only to 

 place its own time and labour ungrudgingly at the service of H.M. 

 Government, but also to ask for the co-operation of other Fellows of 

 the Society, or even other scientific men not Fellows of the Society, 

 feeling confident that whenever the matter in hand has practical 

 bearings beyond the simple advancement of Natural Knowledge, the 

 value of a scientific man's time and energy will be duly considered. 



Some correspondence has taken place with the War Office relative 

 to resuming the borings in the Delta of the Nile, which were carried 

 on for a time some years ago, and which, though not completed, 

 yielded valuable results. The Expedition to the Soudan has, how- 

 ever, prevented anything being done. The Council learn with 

 pleasure that the old borings, undertaken for a purely scientic object, 

 have indirectly been a valuable means of supplying certain districts 

 of the Delta with sweet water. 



If anything had been needed to justify the meetings for discussion 

 recently established, it would have been supplied by the brilliant 

 success of that held during the present session on Colour Photo- 

 graphy. On that occasion, M. Lippmann gave us a demonstration 

 of results of unprecedented beauty, obtained by extremely simple 

 means, though based on profound mathematical reasoning. Such 

 meetings can only prove fruitful when they are held in consequence 

 of some theme needing such a discussion as is afforded by a special 

 meeting ; and their occurrence must therefore be uncertain and 

 irregular. The purpose for which they were instituted would be 

 frustrated if they were held at times fixed in any formal way, irre- 

 spective of whether they were needed or no. 



Three of the informal gatherings recently instituted, limited to 

 Fellows of the Society, have been .held during the session, and were 

 judged to be very successful. 



