Closing Meeting of the Philosophical Club 95 



which the Royal Society meetings close, and at this three 

 Treasureis are to be elected. Each member may introduce 

 one visitor, the President not being thus limited. 



The last (486th) meeting of the Philosophical Club, at 

 which fourteen members were present with one guest, was 

 held or June I3th, 1901. 



Thus ends the history of the Philosophical Club as a 

 separate body. For several years the attendance of its 

 members had conspicuously fallen off, notwithstanding 

 efforts to increase it by modifications of the rules. Its 

 Minutes also indicate that communications on matters of 

 scientific interest had become less frequent. But the Club 

 had accomplished its object. This, as its Minutes more 

 than once declare, was inciting the Council of the Royal 

 Society to more energetic action in the cause of science 

 and its Fellows to take a keener interest in Natural Know- 

 ledge. That had been done. The Royal Society has now 

 for years past exercised an influence, continuously widening 

 and strengthening, on the progress of science ; it has become, 

 as all know who have had any official connection with it, 

 more and more the channel of communication between the 

 Government and the leading men in the different fields of 

 scientific work in our country, thus securing for the former 

 the best advice on questions which require special knowledge. 

 As this advice is privately communicated, it can be accepted 

 by representatives of a Government without loss of official 

 dignity, while the Society incurs no danger of being fettered 

 by red tape or exposed to the ignorant criticism of the 

 professional politician. The advantage to the nation of this 

 informal connection has been more than ever obvious 

 during the last four years. 



The falling off in the attendance at the dinners and in the 

 frequency of communications on matters of scientific interest, 

 which were their special feature, are both largely due to 

 a change of habits. People now generally reside at a greater 

 distance from the centre of London than in former days, 

 and though communication has been facilitated, struggling 

 for a place in an over-full motor-bus or becoming a strap- 



