THE TRUSTS OF THE SOCIETY 187 



'That, in case no paper coming within these stipulations should be con- 

 sidered deserving of the Royal Medal in any given year, the Council have the 

 power of awarding such medal to the author of any other paper on either of 

 the several subjects forming the cycle that may have been presented to the 

 Society, and inserted in their "Transactions", preference being given to the 

 subjects of the year immediately preceding ; the award being in such case 

 subject to the approbation of Her Majesty.' 



On June 13, 1850, it was resolved that these regulations ' should be altered, 

 substituting for them regulations to the following effect : That the Royal 

 Medals in each year should be awarded for the two most important contribu- 

 tions to the advancement of Natural Knowledge, published originally in Her 

 Majesty's dominions within a period of not more than ten years, and not less 

 than one year of the date of the award, subject, of course, to Her Majesty's 

 approval '. 



It was at the same meeting resolved: 'That it is desirable that, in the 

 award of the Royal Medals, one should be given in each year to each of the 

 two great divisions of Natural Knowledge.' 



It is upon these lines that the Royal Medals are still awarded. 



Upon his accession to the throne King Edward VII continued the grant of 

 the Royal Medals. 



His Majesty King George V has likewise been graciously pleased to follow 

 in this matter the practice of his royal predecessors (see pp. 193, 213). 



Since 1900, by order of the Council, a Memorandum has been inserted in the 

 ' Year-book ', containing the following passage with reference to the creation 

 of new trusts for the award of medals : 



* Every year the Council have to award several medals, including the Copley, 

 Royal, Rumford, Davy, Darwin, Buchanan, Sylvester, and Hughes Medals, or 

 some of these, and have been led by experience to the conclusion that it is 

 neither to the advantage of the Society nor in the interests of the advancement 

 of Natural Knowledge that this already long list of medals should in future be 

 added to, and that, therefore, no further bequests to be awarded as prizes for 

 past achievements should be accepted by the Society.' 



