480 
Report on Scientific Societies, 
[August, 
Berlin, Gottingen, Heidelberg, Konigsberg, and Pans. My 
motive for stepping thus forward is the hope of being possi- 
bly instrumental in effecting some good ; but I freely confess 
also to the desire, which I am apt to entertain like many 
other persons, of discharging my mind upon a fitting occa- 
sion of thoughts which have weighed for years upon it ; and, 
with regard to the matter on hand, I may perhaps mention 
that my meditations concerning it date as far back as my 
I intend to divide the remarks I shall make under four 
heads, having reference to— 1, the composition and functions 
of scientific societies ; 2, the efficiency of the universities 
and kindred institutions with regard to scientific instruaion 
and research ; 3, the services of scientific literature of a 
periodic and non-periodic character ; and 4, the recognition 
of Science by Society and the State. 
In this present letter I shall confine myself to a consider- 
ation, very summary* of the subject first mentioned, viz. 
Of Scientific Societies. — The scientific societies extant in 
England may be distributed among four classes : the first , 
containing the Royal Society, so-called hut eioxvv; the 
second , the remaining London Societies ; the third, the 
British Association ; and the fourth , the Provincial So- 
cieties. If it be now asked, what are the functions of these 
several associations, and in what do their aims differ or 
agree ? the answer will prove a little embarrassing, and, if 
candidly given, not over satisfactory. 
As regards the Royal Society, there was undoubtedly a 
time when it proved of great utility to Science. Its Trans- 
actions were the Acta eruditorum or Journal des Savants of 
England; its Secretary corresponded with many of the 
foreign virtuosi , aCting thus as a conneCting-link between 
English and continental philosophers ; finally, its Curator 
repeated and made known all the newest faCts and experi- 
ments at the Society’s meetings. That was in the early 
stages of the Society’s existence, when it also kept a labor- 
atory of its own ; but now all this is changed. . The Society 
still publishes its Transactions, containing highly valuable 
papers ; but it thereby confers no boon upon Science, as 
many of the papers are reprinted, and in faCt all might be 
published, with greater despatch and in a more accessible 
form, through the means afforded by the scientific periodicals. 
The office of Secretary still exists, and there are even three 
secretaries aCting at present, one of whom is specially 
designated as the Foreign Secretary ; but their functions bear 
no trace of what they originally had been. The curatorship, 
