Dec. 



1880] 



NATURE 



Solar spotted : 



Year. 

 1849 

 1850 



Month. 

 67 

 1 1 -2 



Madras barometer. 



Month. 

 12-8 



5'4 



Month. 

 4- 6-1 



+ 6-2 



It will be seen that in the great majority of cases the baro- 

 metric waves reach the westerly station several months before 

 they arrive at the more easterly one, but that the rate of pro- 

 gression of these waves across the Indian Peninsula appear.^ to 

 be much slower than across the open ocean to the southward. 



F. C. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY— ADDRESS OF THE 

 PRESIDENT 1 



DR. SrOTTISWOODE began by referring to the losses 

 whicli the Society has sustained by death during the past 

 year :— rrof. Miller, Dr. Sharpey, Mr. Lassell, Prof. Ansted, 

 Lord Belper, Mr. E. \V. Cooke, and Sir Benjamin Collins 

 Brodie. 



The Society's finances generally are, as the balance- sheet will 

 show, in a healthy condition, and appear to justify the hope that 

 they will suffice for the large claims upon them for printing our 

 publication; The address then proceeds : — 



Although we are more concerned, Dr. Spottiswoode said, with 

 the quality than with the quantity of communications made to the 

 Society, it may not be without interest to observe that the number 

 of papers received this year has been in excess of that in any 

 previous year, at all events since 1872, inclusive. The following 

 is a table of the numbers during the last nine years : — 



1872 99 papers received. 



1873 92 ,, 



1874 98 „ 



1875 88 „ 



1876 113 .. 



1877 97 .. 



1878 no ,, ,, 



1879 118 „ 



iSSo :23 ,, „ 



and we m.iy conclude that these have contained good matter 

 from the fact that of the Philosophical Tiansaclions for the 

 current ye.-a- Parts i. and ii., already published, contain no less 

 than 900 pages and thirty-three plates. 



Dr. Spottinvoodethen referred to the satisfactory results of the 

 change of lime of meeting of the Society, and went on to speak of 

 the death of Mr. Henry White, who for many ye.ars was chief 

 assistant in the compilation of the great Catalogue of Scientific 

 Papers. At an earlier stage of the work. Dr. Spottiswoode w-ent on 

 to say, his loss would have been still more serious ; but in a long 

 course of training he succeeded so well in imparling his own carefiil 

 and methodical mode of work to those under him, that the Couiicil 

 felt justified in making trial of his son to take his place. With 

 the result of this trial, as shown in continuing the preparation of 

 a new edition of the catalogue of the Society's Library, the 

 Council has reason to be satisfied. Of this new edition, the first 

 portion, 220 pages, containing our large collection of Transac- 

 tions and Proceedings of Academies and Societies, and other 

 scientific periodicals is in type, and will shortly be printed ofiF. 

 The verification of titles of our scientific books generally is so 

 far advanced as to warrant the expectation that a large iistalment 

 of this portion of the catalogue will soon be in the printer's 

 hands ; after which we anticipate no further delay. 



In regard to the Library, a question has arisen as to how far 

 purely literary works, which occupy much space, should be 

 retained. Among them there are doubtless fome which add neither 

 to the utility nor to the scientific importance of our Library, but 

 there are also some early printed books, bibliographical treasures, 

 which are worthy of a pl.ice in any collection. It is proposed to 

 have these carefully put in order, and to place them in a case by 

 themselves. Among these, there may be mentioned : — 



Caxton's Chaucer, 1480. 



Pynson's Chaucer, 1492. 



Speght's Folio Chaucer, 1598. 



Ciceronis Ofi'icia et paradoxa, Fu.-t, 1466, velhim. 



The generall bistorie of Virginia, Lond. 1632. 



Boniiacius. Sextus decretalium liber. Yen. 1566-7 



Plautus, 1482. Seneca, 1490. 



Ovid, 1485. Statius, 1490. 



Plutarch, 14S5. Herodotus, 1494. 



Homer, 1488. 

 For bringing into prominence these as well as other features of 

 our miscellaneous, i.e. non-scientific, books, we are greatly in- 

 debted to the care and knowledge brought to bear on the subject 

 by Mr. Tomlinson, and by our treasurer. 



Although it is doubtless undesirable to propose, without suflS- 

 cient cause, alterations in our statutes, or even in our practice, it 

 is still often worth while from time to time to discuss questions 

 involving such alterations in order that we may be prepared for a 



' Address of WillLam Spottiswoode, D.C.L., LL.D., the Preiident, 

 delivered at the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society on lu^-day, 



November 30, 1S80 



