977 
of Edinburgh , Session 1885—86. 
point of view this has been very gratifying, because it has happened 
within my recollection as a Fellow of the Society that, owing to the 
entire absence of such papers one of the Society’s important prizes 
(the Neill Prize) could not be awarded ; while now the Council 
sometimes experience a difficulty in selecting one, or a series, out 
of many papers of great excellence for this distinction. 
It is particularly gratifying to remark on an occasion like this, 
the excellent work now being done by the younger Fellows of the 
Society, who are rising into notice, and I cannot but think it 
fortunate for science in Scotland, not only that we have such 
workers amongst us, but that our Society has the command of 
funds that have enabled it to publish Proceedings and Transactions 
with a liberality, and wealth of illustration, which has probably not 
been exceeded by any scientific Society throughout these realms. 
But, gentlemen, we have in our midst original thinkers engaged 
in active research, which can only be carried on at considerable 
personal cost, but which it is quite beyond the province of this 
Society to meet, or even to mitigate ; and in mentioning this, I 
cannot but regret that a Society holding the position of the Royal 
Society of Edinburgh, should not be entrusted with a share of the 
Government annual grant for the prosecution of scientific research 
in this country. The distribution of even a small share by this 
Society among local applicants, or those residing in other parts of 
Scotland, whose claims could be better considered here than by 
the judges of a distant tribunal, would, I feel assured, lead to the 
best results. Hitherto the difficulty may have been a want of 
information on the part of the London Committee in charge of 
the fund, as to the applicants from Scotland, and the nature of 
their work, and hence, no doubt, their refusal in many cases to give 
grants in aid of investigations which would have been of real service. 
But there would be little or no difficulty were a committee of this 
Society empowered to deal with such applications ; and I trust 
that a strong effort will be made in the proper quarter to bring 
about an arrangement so desirable, as I am satisfied it would confer 
a positive benefit upon science at large. 
As an office-bearer and member of Council, now of some years’ 
standing, I have taken but a very small personal share in the work 
of the Society, and on that account I am, perhaps, all the more 
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