The Present of the Society, 349 



the character and habits of the Society. As an example, 

 a poem, however beautiful and original, would not suit our 

 memoirs. Essays are of various kinds, and we have some ; 

 their suitability depends entirely on the mode of treating 

 the subject and the result obtained, and of these qualities 

 the Council must judge. 



At present we are doing our best to make a good 

 collection of the labours of scientific societies over all the 

 world, so that our members are able to see for themselves 

 the work of their contemporaries. 



The Society has never accumulated money, having 

 spent all its income for the benefit of those who subscribe, 

 keeping at the sam^e time carefully out of all engagements 

 which it could not fulfil. 



The time, however, has come when it must make an 

 effort to enlarge the buildings which were erected for its 

 accommodation in 1804, o^ remove to new ones. The 

 library is making the rooms inconveniently small, and it 

 has been proposed to sell the building and site, take 

 cheaper premises, and look to using the interest of the 

 money obtained by the sale for purposes of the Society. 

 It has also been proposed that the books should be added 

 to the Free Library under certain conditions, whilst members 

 only of the Society should have permission to read them 

 at home ; but the feelings of the members seem decidedly 

 opposed to this ; and it is remarkable how strong and how 

 beautiful the sentiment is of attachment to the spot where 

 the Society has gained its fame. The members are un- 

 willing to leave the rooms where Dalton studied, rooms 

 that were given him for his laboratory, and which were his 

 home from morning till evening for the greater part of his 

 life, a building which has been consecrated to science in 



