Chairman's Remarks. 
1888 .] 
477 
scientific research in this Society is in a thoroughly healthful and a 
highly hopeful condition. 
During this Session no less than 102 papers have been laid before 
the Society, twenty-five more than last year, eleven more than the 
year previous, thirty more the year preceding that, and greatly in 
increase of the average of years farther back. In the department of 
Physics 28 papers have been read, in Mathematics 10, in Astronomy 
3, in Chemistry 9, in Geology 6, in Physiography 6, in Meteorology 
4, in Zoology 12, in Anthropology 2, in Botany 4, in Physiology 
14, in Anatomy 3, in Political Economy 1. 
It would be invidious to call attention to the merits of particular 
papers, it would be presumptuous were I to venture to pronounce 
a judgment on their comparative value but I may be permitted to 
express a belief, in which I have no doubt you will agree with me, 
namely, that these papers have been in every way worthy of the 
reputation of the Society ; that they have all been examples of 
ingenious and accurate research ; and that not a few of them have 
been profound, comprehensive, and laborious investigations, — 
vigorous and successful incursions into the unknown. 
In the departments of Mathematics, Physics, and Chemistry, the 
Society has among its members proficients of such exceptional 
eminence that we may feel confident that the work done in these 
departments is not likely to have been much surpassed in value by 
that of any similar Society. Ho one can have been present when 
some of the papers on geological and allied subjects were read with- 
out receiving the impression that the Society was in little danger 
of losing the high reputation for brilliant investigation into these 
matters Avhich it originally acquired through the genius and labours 
of Hutton and Hall. 
In Biology and Physiology, and their dependencies, such as 
Botany and Zoology, the Session has been marked by an amount of 
work accomplished which one might call extraordinary, were it not 
the continuation of a growing productivity in these departments 
which has been manifesting itself for several years, and which it 
may well give us much satisfaction to note. In this connection I 
must not forget to state the Society has a promise, which will 
doubtless be realised, of receiving a series of communications 
embodying the results of the investigations carried on at the 
