NATURE 
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DeEcEMBER 3, 1896 | 
M. Daubrée was the leader in France in experiments for the 
synthetic reproduction of minerals and rocks, and his laboratory 
furnace was the first to yield crystals of oxide of tin having the 
lustre, colour, and hardness of the mineral cassiterite ; his 
memoir on the zeolites and other minerals, produced since Roman 
times through the action of the hot springs of Plombieres on 
the bricks and concrete, has been of general interest both to 
mineralogists and geologists. Other important experiments led 
him to infer that circulating water, rather than heat or vapours, 
has been the essential agent in all phenomena of rock trans- 
formation. M. Daubrée gave much attention to the description 
and classification of meteorites, and made numerous experiments 
relative to the reproduction of material having similar characters. 
The Council was much occupied during the earlier part of the 
session with the consideration of the proposed ‘‘ Standing 
Orders” relating to the conduct of the meetings, and to the 
publications of the Society—a subject which has engaged the 
anxious attention of previous Councils. In framing these Stand- 
ing Orders two principal objects were kept in view. Firstly, to 
to increase the interest of the meetings by giving greater freedom 
in the conduct of them, and by enlarging the opportunities for 
discussion ; and secondly, to obtain a more secure, and, at the 
same time, more rapid judgment as to the value of communi- 
cations made to the Society ; so that, while the high standard of 
the Philosophical Transactzons is retained, or even raised, greater 
rapidity in the publication of these and of the Proceedings may be 
attained. To secure these latter objects, the Council has called 
to its aid, in the form of Sectional Committees, a number of 
Fellows much greater than that of the Council itself, to whom 
will be entrusted the task of reviewing the communications to the 
Society, and of making to the Council such recommendations 
with respect to them as may seem desirable. It is further 
probable that by using the special knowledge of the several 
Sectional Committees in the detailed consideration of special 
questions, the Council will have more time at its disposal than it 
has at present to consider the matters of larger policy which are 
so frequently brought before it. 
It soon became evident that no satisfactory Standing Orders 
securing these adyantages could be drawn up which would not be 
insome way or other inconsistent with the Statutes at present in 
operation. It wasaccordingly resolved to modify the Statutes ; 
and this has been dong by giving to certain Statutes a more 
general form than that in which they have for a long time 
appeared, so that such alterations of detail as may from time to 
time seem desirable may be effected by changes in the Standing 
Orders only, without interfering with the Statutes. I gladly 
avail myself of this opportunity of acknowledging the great help 
which the Council received from Mr. A. B. Kempe, in respect to 
the many legal points which arose in connection with the change 
of Statutes. A copy of the Statutes, as amended during the 
present session, as well as of the Standing Orders adopted, will 
be found in the Year-book, which has been instituted by one of 
the new Standing Orders, and which will be published each 
year, as soon after the Anniversary Meeting as possible. 
The International Conference called to consider the desirability 
and possibility of compiling and publishing, by international co- 
operation, a complete catalogue of scientific literature, was duly 
held ; and the Society may be congratulated on the successful 
issue of a meeting, to the preparations for which a special Inter- 
national Catalogue Committee, appointed by, and acting under 
the authority of, the Council, had devoted much time and labour. 
The Conference met in the apartments of the Society on July 14, 
15, 16, and 17, under the presidency of the Right Hon. Sir J. 
Gorst, Vice-President of the Committee of Council on Education, 
and was attended by forty-one delegates, representing nearly all 
countries interested in science. The Society was represented 
by the Senior Secretary, Prof. Armstrong (Chairman of the 
International Catalogue Committee), Mr. Norman Lockyer, Dr, 
L. Mond, and Prof. Riicker. Three other Fellows of the 
Society—Dr. D. Gill, Prof. Liversidge, and Mr. R. Trimen— 
were among the delegates appointed by Colonial Governments. 
The Conference resolved that it was desirable to compile and 
publish a catalogue of the nature suggested in the original 
circular issued by the Royal Society, the administration being 
carried out by an International Central Bureau, under the 
direction of an International Council, with an arrangement that 
each of such countries as were willing to do so, should, by some 
national organisation, collect and prepare for the Central 
Bureau all the entries belonging to the scientific literature of the 
NO. 1414, VOL. 55] 
country. It was further resolved that the language of the 
catalogue should be English, and a proposal that the Central 
Bureau should be placed in London was carried by acclamation. 
The Conference finding itself unable to accept any of the 
systems of classification proposed, requested the Royal Society 
to form a Committee which should consider this and other 
matters which were left undecided by the Conference. The 
Council are already taking steps to perform the duties thus 
entrusted to them by the Conference. 
The delegates of the Society reported that the whole pro- 
ceedings of the Conference were carried on with remarkable 
good feeling, and even unanimity, and that the confidence felt 
and expressed by the various delegates in the fitness of the 
Royal Society to complete the work begun by the Conference 
was most gratifying. 
In connection with the fact that the proposed International 
Catalogue is to be in part arranged according to subject matter, 
it may be stated that the Council, acting upon a resolution of 
the International Catalogue Committee, have taken steps 
towards the practice of appending subject indices to the papers 
published by the Society, and have recommended the same 
practice to other Societies. 
The work connected with the Society’s own Catalogue is 
progressing. Vol. XI, the last of the decade 1874-83, has been 
published, and the preparation of the Supplement, which has 
been found necessary for this and preceding decades, is being 
pushed on. 
For the Subject Index to the Catalogue, slips have been 
prepared, and the Catalogue Committee will soon have to advise 
the Council as to the system of classification to be adopted. 
The Grant of 1000/., in aid of publications, which My Lords 
of the Treasury promised last summer to place upon the 
Estimates of this year, has been sanctioned by Parliament, and a 
moiety of it has already been paid to the Society. The Council 
have already felt the great advantage of having this money at 
their disposal, and have framed regulations for its administration, 
which they trust will be found to work satisfactorily. 
The Council have made some small changes (which have been 
approved by My Lords of the Treasury) in the Regulations for 
the administration of the Government Grant of 4000/. in aid of 
scientific inquiries, directed chiefly towards more effectually 
securing that Grants made should be expended for the purpose for 
which they were given, and that objects of permanent interest 
obtained by Grants should be properly disposed of. The only 
two Grants made this year which call for special mention are 
that of 10007. to the Joint Permanent Eclipse Committee of the 
Royal and Royal Astronomical Societies, for observations of the 
Solar Eclipse of August, and that of 800/. for boring a coral 
reef in the Pacific Ocean, administered by the Committee 
appointed by the Royal Society, both drawn from the Reserve 
Fund. 
The Expedition to bore the Coral Reef received valuable 
assistance from My Lords of the Admiralty, who directed 
H.M.S. Penguzn to carry the observers from Sydney, N.S.W., 
to Funafuti, the seat of the boring, and to render the Ex- 
pedition all possible-help during the whole of the operations. I 
desire to express on behalf of the Society our recognition of this 
renewed token of the willingness of My Lords of the Admiralty 
to further scientific inquiry. Though the full Report of the 
Expedition has not yet reached the Council, information has 
been received to the effect that the boring operations had to be 
suspended when a depth of only 75 feet had been reached ; a 
layer of sand and boulders presenting obstacles which the 
experts employed were unable to overcome. It is much to be 
regretted that an undertaking which promised scientific results 
of very great value has thus so far failed. 7 t 
The appeals of the Council to H.M. Minister for Foreign 
Affairs and to My Lords of the Admiralty for assistance to the 
Eclipse Expeditions met with most cordial and effective response, 
for which we would express our gratitude. We also desire to 
acknowledge the courtesy shown and help afforded to the 
observing parties in Nerway and Japan by the respective 
Governments of those countries, and to record our high 
appreciation of the enthusiastic and effective aid given to those 
under the direction of Mr. Norman Lockyer, at Vadso, by 
Captain King Hall and the officers and crew of H.M.S. Volage. 
Both in Norway and in Japan unfavourable weather rendered 
to a large extent nugatory the elaborate preparations which had 
been made for observing the eclipse. But British astronomy 
was splendidly saved from failure on this important occasion by 
