6 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh. [dec. 6 r 
That remedy is not far to seek; in the new arrangements which 
must follow the removal of the Antiquarian Museum, the Society’s 
library should he spread over the greater part of this noble building, 
which could not he devoted to a higher or better purpose than 
accommodating, for the behoof of the leading scientific society of 
Scotland, the literature of the learned Societies of all nations, — the 
accumulated records of the scientific researches of the world. 
The Council has considered it expedient to lay these facts regard- 
ing the library before the Board of Manufactures, and has re- 
quested the favourable consideration of the claims of the Society 
for more space in this building. 
For the prosecution of scientific investigations the Transactions 
and Proceedings of learned societies are not only invaluable, but 
indispensable. They fulfil the twofold purpose of showing what 
has been accomplished in each department of science, and of serving 
as starting points, on our part, of new advances into the unknown. 
Mere scientific compilations, as distinguished from monographs, 
however useful to the student, are comparatively of little service 
to the investigator who is striving to extend the boundaries of his 
science ; and it may be affirmed that many original researches, which 
have conferred much honour on this Society, could not have been 
successfully prosecuted without the aid derived from the literature 
received from similar institutions showing what had most recently 
been done in the same departments by workers in other parts of 
the world. 
It could be wished that the funds at the disposal of the Society 
would permit of the acquisition of the records of scientific voyages, 
which embody valuable original observations and investigations, as 
well as numerous special monographs. Meanwhile, it is gratifying 
to know that among the large and varied collection of memoirs 
existing in this library, there are some which were searched for in 
vain in the greatest of the metropolitan libraries, although that is 
annually supported by large Government grants. 
Let me give an illustration of the value of this Society and] its 
library to the community. 
When some six years ago I succeeded to the direction of the 
work connected with the publication of the scientific results of the 
“ Challenger ” Expedition, there was then no reason why the work 
