446 Proceedings of Royal Society of Edinburgh, [july 18 , 
15. Eemarks by the Chairman on Closing the Session. 
I am told by our Secretary, whose authority on such a subject I 
dare not venture to dispute, that on this the last meeting of the 
Session, the duty falls on the retiring Vice-President of making a 
few remarks on the business of that Session, including some infor- 
mation as to the number of new and of deceased Fellows, the papers 
that have been read on each subject, and other similar information. 
This duty I now proceed, to the best of my power, to discharge. 
It will, I am sure, be gratifying to the members to be told that 
the supply of papers during the present Session has been even 
more ample than on former occasions, and I trust that we are not 
guilty of undue vanity in believing that the contributions of this 
year show the same deep and patient research, the same knowledge 
of what has already been done, both in this country and abroad, 
and the same mastery over the latest and best methods of mathe- 
matical and physical investigation, which have hitherto distinguished 
the Fellows of this Society, and have given value to its transactions 
in the estimation of similar learned institutions elsewhere. 
As matter of statistics, it may be noted that in Physics the 
number of papers read has been 22, in Mathematics 8, in Astronomy 
6, Meteorology 7, Engineering 2, Chemistry 6, Physical Geography 
3, Anatomy and Physiology 10, Botany 2, Biology 6, Geology and 
Palaeontology 4, Political Economy 1. 
It is also satisfactory to know that of late numerous candidates 
have sought admission to Fellowship. During the last Session 36 
were admitted as Fellows ; in the present the number has been 
35. Many of these are men of high promise, and not a few have 
already given evidence of scientific ability by the papers they have 
published in our Proceedings and Transactions. 
On the other hand, death has, since the opening of the Session, 
made serious inroads on our ranks. Since last November nine 
Fellows of our Society have died. 
When among these I mention the name of Thomas Stevenson, it 
is impossible not to think with sadness how short a time has run 
since, as the valued President of our Society, he occupied this chair, 
and from it delivered addresses to which we listened with instruction 
