117 
and not on each other. It is only extreme cases of views pushed 
beyond the ideas of the age,— of views anticipatory of the future of 
science, — that seem to demand the support of societies. We may 
admit respecting some of the generalizations of Faraday and Owen, 
for example, that had they emanated from some remote, unheard of 
country-side, they would have made no immediate impression, and 
would have fairly seen the day only in the next generation as sin- 
gular foreshadowings of doctrines then familiar. But these are ex- 
ceptions, not the rule. 
Neither is combination now, as of old, essential to the prosecution 
of experimental research. Societies, in their corporate capacities, 
are no longer searchers after truths. They leave that work to 
individuals. Not only are we not called on to unite in the prose- 
cution of experiments, but it rarely even happens that we are called on 
to lend pecuniary aid to such objects. It is possible that this Society 
may have been too restrictive in its grants for the prosecution of 
experiments ; but assuredly this is an error in the right direction. 
A Society like this should never, as it appears to me (but I, of course, 
give my individual opinion only), by its funds undertake researches 
which may either prove of doubtful value on the one hand, or form 
an honourable incentive to individual energy on the other. The 
only reasonable grounds on which I can imagine grants of this kind 
may be legitimately founded, are these three : — The reduction of 
experiments already made ; the repetition or examination of old 
experiments ; and the continuation of researches which have been 
presented to the Society and approved by them. And that the So- 
ciety, through their Council, have practically recognised these prin- 
ciples will appear, when I mention that the grants which have 
been made during the last twenty-five years have been limited al- 
most exclusively to the purchase of magnetical and meteorological 
apparatus, and to the reduction of the observations made at the 
Makerstoun Observatory, at the Calton Hill, and at Mr Adie's 
residence. 
Having now pointed out what are not the objects of such a Society 
as this, I may be fairly expected to state what I consider those ob- 
jects to be. They appear to me to consist mainly of these two, — 
mutual influence and publication. 
The end of our intercourse is encouragement and guidance, often 
even restraint. The history of the world tells many a sad tale of 
VOL. IV. 
Q 
