xxvi President's Address 



Before concluding I will detain you a few moments on 

 more strictly society matters. 



You will be pleased to learn that the Section A has been 

 reconstructed with a strong list of members and associates, 

 with our Vice-President (Mr. Kernot) as chairman. The scope 

 of our Society is large, and provision has been made for the 

 formation of sections. Although Section A, which takes 

 physical, astronomical, and mechanical science, and engi- 

 neering, has done important work in the past and now pro- 

 mises increased vigour, the other sections, which include 

 social science and statistics, geography and ethnology, 

 literature and line arts, medical and microscopical science, 

 natural history, geology, &c., are as yet a dead letter. The 

 fact is that it is the rule to form new societies for the study 

 and encouragement of these sciences rather than carry them 

 out in connection with the older Society. This, no doubt, 

 is the natural tendency ; nevertheless, speaking from a long 

 experience, I think it a matter for regret, for our community 

 is not yet large enough to maintain, in an effective state, a 

 number of scientific societies. Unity is strength; and if all 

 interested in the progress of science, or engaged in her 

 various byways, were to unite together, not only would 

 more useful work be done, but the work would be more 

 valuable on account of being subjected to wider criticism. 

 -All our societies combined would form a strong body, 

 capable of fostering and even subsidising scientific research ; 

 and would also by its strength probably be able to carry into 

 practical effect many things for the public good which may 

 have been elaborated by the investigations and discussions 

 of the general body. Every branch of scientific investiga- 

 tion is now so linked together, so dovetailed piece by piece 

 into one another, that there is hardly a subject that can be 

 broached that does not touch upon the province of four or 

 five of the sciences ; it is therefore evident that a scientific 

 society anywhere, to be thoroughly effective, should be a 

 congress of all. It is, I fear, too late now to hope that we 

 can ever effect the union of all our scientific societies in 



