ANNIVEESARY ADDBESB. 5 



You cannot but have noticed that the actual work done in our 

 Society has fallen upon a few only of its members. 



It has been suggested that there would be more contributors 

 to our Transactions if those whose attention has been turned to 

 any given subject, whether of a scientific, a literary, or any other 

 class, were associated together in Sections or Committees. It is 

 surmised that in such a case men who could now enlighten us on 

 various interesting subjects might in notices, however brief, fill up 

 gaps left in discussions by their fellow-members who sometimes 

 in discursive essays have left unnoticed many apparently trifling, 

 but really important, facts or suggestions. 



It is not an easy task (I speak from experience) to discuss any 

 topic with the conviction that nothing more remains to be said. 

 And on those particular subjects which especially pertain to the 

 objects set forth in our Fundamental Kules, many are the obser- 

 vations which have been made by diff'erent persons, which by 

 such a sectional arrangement as is suggested would doubtless 

 find a place in the record of our proceedings. 



Short notes might often contain materials for long meditation 

 and inquiry, and as the Council of the Society has authority to 

 determine what shall or what shall not be read at our monthly 

 meetings, no great mischief would eventually be done, even if 

 such communications as have been alluded to might, perchance, 

 contain useless or indefensible matter. Such would, undoubtedly, 

 be put out of the way of public recognition. 



All this is, however, only suggestive on my part ; but I recom- 

 mend it to the consideration of all who are sincerely and heartily 

 interested in the progress of the Eoyal Society. 



There are, it may be, thousands of facts of apparently little 

 importance at the moment of observation — or they may be 

 observed by men unused to scientific, or, as the term is, philoso- 

 phical inferences, which nevertheless are deserving of being 

 registered, as either bearing on some past discussion or leading 

 to some future application. This kind of contribution to our 

 work would be happily brought into the common garner by tho 



