THE SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES 



reserved for papers of exceptional length and completeness. 

 The present reputation for superior excellence which 

 seems to be associated with the appearance of a paper 

 in the Transactions would disappear, and authors of papers 

 would soon come to prefer the more speedy publication 

 in the Proceedings in its new and enlarged form. 



The cost of printing and of illustrations would be con- 

 siderably reduced, and so afford funds for the increased 

 number of papers which would probably be received by 

 the Society under the system of duplicate publication. 



If it were decided by this enlargement of size to exalt 

 the Proceedings to a higher place in the Society's publi- 

 cations, it would become a matter for consideration whether 

 it might be desirable to adopt the plan of division of subjects, 

 which is in use for the Philosophical Transactions, and 

 bring out the Proceedings in two series : Series A for 

 papers which are of a mathematical or physical character ; 

 and Series B for biological papers. 1 



I have not hitherto mentioned the reduplication of 

 the special Societies of the Metropolis by the formation 

 of local Societies in other centres of population and in- 

 telligence, for the study and promotion of the same sciences. 

 The separate existence of these provincial associations 

 is fully justified by geographical reasons. 



A great step in advance has been taken by the Society 

 of Antiquaries, to which I would call attention as well 



1 The Proceedings are now published in an enlarged form, and in two 

 series, as suggested in the text. (1906.) 



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