1864.] 



President's Addi^ess. 



497 



" The peculiar and distinctive character of the Eoyal Society Relief 

 Fund is, that although relief has invariably been granted with the greatest 

 promptitude, the claims have nevertheless been most carefully examined 

 by those whose pursuits in life enable them to form the most correct con- 

 clusion as to the character of the claimant. The Committee can most con- 

 scientiously state that, in no instance, has any applicant having the slightest 

 claim on the Pund been refused assistance. Sometimes the payments to 

 recipients have been the first information they have received of such a fund 

 being in existence ; the Committee may have on some occasions regretted 

 that it had not a larger sum at command, but the relief, whatever its 

 amount, has always been received with gratitude for the substantial aid 

 it afforded, and with pleasure as a recognition on the part of the Council 

 of the Eoyal Society of good service rendered to science. 



The Committee is naturally desirous to retain sufficient funds in hand 

 to meet any sudden emergency that may arise ; at this time there appears 

 a balance somewhat larger than usual, but this arises from there having 

 been only two applicants this year instead of five, as in 1863. It is very 

 probable that if the existence of such a fund were more generally known, 

 especially among the members of the Chartered Scientific Societies, further 

 subscriptions would be tendered." 



(Sig-ned) W. A. Millee. 



W. B. Caepenter. 

 J. J. Sylvester. 



Burhngton House, T. H. Huxley. 



24th November, 1864. J. P. Gassiot. 



On the motion of Mr. Busk, seconded by Dr. Gray, the thanks of the 

 Society were voted to Mr. Gassiot for his services in originating and con- 

 ducting the Scientific Relief Fund. 



The President then addressed the Society as follows : — . 

 Geittlemen, 



When I had the honour of addressing you at the Anniversary Meeting 

 in 1862, I informed you of the steps which had been taken by the 

 Council towards the formation of an Index to the Scientific Periodical 

 Literature of the Nineteenth Century, or, more precisely, a Catalogue 

 of the Titles of Scientific Memoirs contaixied in the Scientific Perio- 

 dicals, in all languages, from the commencement of the present century 

 to the year 1860. The preparation of this work has progressed steadily ; 

 and, so far as regards a Manuscript Catalogue to be kept in our own 

 library for the use of the Fellows generally, it may be considered to be 

 very nearly complete. The limit in point of time to which the entries of 

 the Titles should be restricted has been extended to 1863 inclusive. A 

 circular which has been addressed by the Foreign Secretary to seventy 



