290 PKOFESSOR LIONEL S. EEALE, F.E.O.P,^ F.R.S., ON THE 



of the cell has to die in order that the material that Iniilds up the 

 new plant may be formed ; and that layer after layer of it may be 

 formed, the process of death has to go on continually. I think if it 

 were only for the light thrown upon that one passage, and the 

 evidence that it is in strict accordance with what we know of 

 scientific biology, Professor Beale's paper would have been valuable 

 beyond expression. 



Professor Beale.^ — May I appeal to Professor Hull, and may I 

 appeal to my colleagues on the Council to consider whether we 

 must not have a little alteration in some of our arrangements, in 

 order that we may have, now and then, one of these jioints 

 thoroughly discussed. It seems to me to be quite within the 

 purview of the Institute ? 



The Secretary. — It is not the first time that you have brought 

 this proposal before us, and I think we discussed it at one of the 

 meetings of the Council, and I have thought over it mj^self. I 

 would wish you, in the first place, to consider that the arrangements 

 for the meetings and discussion of papers have been of long standing. 

 They are the result not only of the arrangements made years ago 

 by the members and associates and the Council of the Institute, but 

 they have been, as it were, confirmed hy subsequent use and 

 experience. They are something like the rules which govern the 

 meeting of Parliament, and it is very difficult to introduce additional 

 meetings and discussions without possible disarrangement of the 

 ordinary meetings and discussions, and also adding, perhaps, very 

 largely to the labours of a very small staff", which I hope you will 

 consider. I find, as a matter of fact, as your Secretary, that it 

 takes me all the time that I can spare from other engagements to 

 deal with what we are now doing; and the Council, when they did 

 me the honour of appointing me as Secretary, accepted my statement 

 that I should give the time necessary to conduct the affairs of this 

 Institute as Secretary, provided I was allowed the time for other 

 numerous engagements and duties. You have no idea the amount 

 of labour that getting these papers and discussions through the press 

 involves. I have to read the MSS., correct them and send them 

 through the press ; attend to their issue — first the proofs, then the 

 revises, and then ultimately to get them all into the shape for the 

 volume of Transactions. Possibly, if you thought it worth while to 

 have a couple of meetings thrown in, which would not involve either 



