11 



But although it must be admitted that the purposes of 

 these various funds are not to be distinguished by any 

 very simple line of demarcation, and that they may 

 therefore occasionally appear to overlap one another, 

 it may still, I think, be fairly maintained that this 

 fact does not furnish any sufficient reason against 

 their co-existence. There are many topics of research 

 too minute in their range, too tentative in their present 

 condition, to come fairly within the scope of the funds ad- 

 ministered by the Royal Society. There are others, ample 

 enough in their extent, and long enough in their neces- 

 sary duration, to claim for their support a national grant, 

 but which need to be actually set on foot or tried before 

 they can fairly expect the recognition either of the public 

 or of the Government. To these categories others might 

 be added ; but the above-mentioned instances will perhaps 

 suffice to show that even if larger and more permanent 

 funds were devoted to the promotion of reseaFch than 

 is the case at present, there would still be a field of 

 activity open to the British Association as well as to 

 other Scientific bodies which may have funds at their 

 disposal. 



On the general question it is not difficult to offer 

 strong arguments in favour of permanent national 

 Scientific Institutions ; nor is it difficult to picture to the 

 mind an ideal future when Science and Art shall walk 

 hand in hand together, led by a willing minister into the 

 green pastures of the Endowment of Research. But 

 while allowing this to be no impossible a future, we 

 must still admit that there are other and less promising 

 possibilities, which under existing circumstances cannot 

 be altogether left out of our calculations. I am 

 therefore on the whole inclined to think that, while 

 not losing sight of larger schemes, the wisest policy, for 



