290 Proceedings of the Royal Society 
maybe read at our evening meetings, and may be published in our 
Transactions. 
(fthi) That our Council, on the other hand, shall be entitled to 
appeal to any affiliated society for co-operation in the ascertainment 
of facts, or the investigation of phenomena, lying within the com- 
pass of its objects, and also within the field of its operations ; and 
if, in response to this appeal, a report is made, we may, if approved 
by the Council, have it read or noticed at our meetings, and pub- 
lished in our Transactions. 
(fthi) That in the event of any important investigations or ex- 
periments being wished to be made by the members of an affiliated 
society, which however cannot be made by them on account of the 
expense thereof, it shall be competent for the office-bearers of such 
affiliated society to apply to the Council, of our Society to defray a 
portion of the expense, out of the funds of our Society, or out of 
an annual grant, should such be obtained from Government, to 
aid scientific investigations in Scotland. 
Some such arrangements as those I have now suggested, would 
probably produce co-operation among most of the societies in Scot- 
land devoted to science or literature, a co-operation which would 
be attended by advantages, both to them and to the advancement 
of their objects. 
IY. In adverting, under the next head of this address, to the 
usefulness of such societies as ours, it is only necessary to observe 
that they have been established to aid philosophers in the peculiar 
work to which they devote themselves. Whether we regard the 
work they accomplish, or the motives which inspire them, these 
philosophers deserve all the encouragement and aid which can 
be given. They love knowledge for its own sake; — their chief 
pleasure consists in searching for knowledge ; — and their highest 
happiness is to discover some new truth. Fortunately for the 
world, there have been in all ages, and among almost every people, 
individuals who have cherished those noble aspirations. The old 
Hebrew king has recorded, how he “ applied his heart to know 
and seek out the reasons of things,” and avouched from experience, 
how “ Happy is the man who findeth wisdom.” The enlightened 
Roman expressed the same sentiment when he exclaimed, “ Felix 
