XC REPORT 18G9. 



derata in the various subjects to which they related. The Association Avas 

 thus the better enabled to fulfil another of its functions, that of organizing 

 means for the prosceiition of researches -which require cooperation. When 

 the want is within the compass of what can be accomplished by individuals, 

 the demand may be left to create the supply ; but it often happens that a 

 research can hardly be carried out without cooperation. It may, for instance, 

 require a combination of the most profound theoretical knowledge with the 

 greatest experimental skill, or an extensive knowledge of very dissimilar 

 branches of science ; or, again, the work to be done, though all of one kind, 

 may be of such an extent as to be beyond the power of any one man. In 

 such cases the limited power of the individual can only be supplemented by 

 the principle of cooperation ; and accordingly it becomes an important part 

 of the business of the Association to organize committees for the prosecution 

 of special researches. The researches thus undertaken at the request of the 

 Association are published at length, along with the reports on the progress 

 of science, in the first part of the annual volume. 



In close connexion with the last must be mentioned another mode in which 

 the Association contributes to the progress of science. Many researches re- 

 quire not only time and thought, but pecuniary outlay ; and it would seem 

 hard that scientific men who give their time and labour gratuitously to car- 

 rying out such researches should be further obliged to incur an expenditure 

 which they often can ill afford. The Association accordingly makes grants 

 of money to individuals or Committees for defraying the expenses of such 

 researches. It appears from the I'cport which has just been published that, 

 reckoning up to the year 1867 inclusi\e, the sum of i'29,312 -is. Id, has been 

 voted by the Association for various scientific olijccts. Deducting from tliis 

 the sum of =£23 IGs. 0(/. for the balances of grants not wholly expended, 

 which were returned to the Association, we may say that =£29,288 8s. Id. 

 has been expended in the manner indicated. When we remember that these 

 grants were mostly of small amount, and do not include personal expenses, 

 and that verj'' many of the researches undertaken at the request of the Asso- 

 ciation do not involve money grants at all, we may form some idea of the 

 amount of scientific activitj^ which has been evoked under the auspices of the 

 Association. 



In the address with which the business of the Meeting is opened, it is 

 usual for your President to give some account of the most recent progress of 

 science. The task is by no means an easy one. Pew indeed are familiar 

 with science in all its branches ; and even to one who was, the selection of 

 topics and the mode of treating them would still present difficulties. I shall 

 not attempt to give an account of the recent progress of science in general, 

 but shall select from those branches witli Avhich I am more familiar some 

 examples of recent progress which may, I hope, prove to be of pretty general 

 interest. And even in this I feel that I shall have to crave your indulgence, 

 for it is hard to be intelligible to some Avithout being wearisome to others. 



Among the various branches of physical science, astronomy occupies in many 

 respects a foremost rank. The movements of the heavenly bodies must have 

 occupied the attention and excited the interest of mankind from the earliest 

 ages, and accordingly the first rudiments of the science are lost in the depths 

 of antiquity. The grandeur of the subjects of contemplation Avhich it pre- 

 sents to us have won for it especial favour, and its importance in relation to 

 navigation has caused it to be supported by national resources. Newton's 

 great discovery of universal gravitation raised it from the rank of a science 

 X)f observation to that of ocie 3.diniJ;fing of the most exact mathematical de- 



