2 
Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh, [sess. 
Professor Sir DOUGLAS M ACL AG AN, President, 
in the Chair. 
Chairman’s Opening Address. 
(Read December 7, 1891.) 
It is in conformity with time honoured custom, and in the per- 
formance of duty, that I offer a short address on the occasion of 
the opening of the Society’s 109th Session. 
I confess that I have little to say which can be expected to attract 
the notice of the Fellows, or to bear to be recorded in our proceed- 
ings ; but I am glad to be able to state that alike as regards Fellow- 
ships, Finances, and the work of the past Session, the Society is in 
a prosperous condition. 
We have added to our number 18 Ordinary Fellows who have 
passed the triple ordeal of the Council and the ballot of the 
Society; and we have good reason to believe that not a few of these 
will prove valuable pioneers in the domains of Science and 
Literature, and interesting contributors to our Proceedings. 
Among tbe Fellows elected this year, there were two Lords of 
Session, three Professors, eight Doctors of Science or Medicine, and 
the Editor of the leading Newspaper of Scotland. 
We have had during the past year 76 papers read before the 
Society, wFich may be classified thus: — 18 in the department 
of Natural Philosophy, 3 in Astronomy, 7 in Mathematics, 12 in 
Chemistry, 1 in Geology, 6 in Zoology, 4 in Botany, 8 in Physiology, 
3 in Anatomy, 6 in Meteorology, 7 in Physical Geography, and 
1 in Philology. 
It thus appears that few of the leading departments of Science 
have been unrepresented at one or more of our meetings ; and we 
have thus the satisfaction of knowing that the Royal Society 
maintains its character for scientific catholicity, and that its meet- 
ings are open to all who have anything to say on the special scientific 
subjects to which they have devoted their attention in the way of 
research. 
I have more than once, when occupying this chair, expressed my 
regret that while we rejoice in the activity of the cultivators of 
Physical and Natural Science, w^e have so few contributors to 
