Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 4.djvu/280

Rh ation, and in the formation of new societies for Microscopical Re- search, and for the improvement of Botany and Agriculture.

With respect to the last of these, we must look with satisfaction to every effort to carry the torch of science, to light up the intrica- cies and doubts of an art, the first probably in age, and certainly the first in importance to civilized man. As ("O the Botanical Society, we cannot but be glad that the want of a public and national Garden should be in some measure supplied, and we may indulge a hope that the example may, at a future time, lead our Government to pro- vide an establishment commensurate with the wealth of Great Bri- tain, with the magnitude of the metropolis, and with the extensive colonial empire from which it might be supplied with the produc- tions of the most varied climates.

With the continued and increasing prosperity of the British As- sociation, I may the more boldly call on you to sympathize, as the greater part of its most active and talented members are also among the most valued of our own Fellows. It had this year a great addi- tional merit in the very numerous attendance of the scientific natives of other countries, and it gave to those among us Avho were present at Glasgow the opportunity of becoming personally acquainted with some of our Foreign Members; with an Encke, and an Agassiz. The latter gentleman, having fortunately extended his visit to En- gland, we have now the pleasure of seeing him at our Anniversary; a pleasure that we should have probably lost, had he not been at- tracted by the meeting of the British Association.

During the last year we have had more than one occasion of tes- tifying our grateful and loyal attachment to our Royal Patroness. Another now presents itself, which I am sure you will gladly seize, to express cur joy at the birth of a Princess, our gratitude to Heaven for our Sovereign's safety, and our fervent prayers for her long and prosperous reign over the hearts as well as persons of her subjects.

Since we last assembled our room of meeting has been ornamented, as you will see, Gentlemen, by the portrait of our late Royal Presi- dent, from the pencil of Mr. Phillips. I am sure that you will be gratified by this addition to the likenesses of the far greater number of my predecessors. Future successors of the present Fellows of the Royal Society will look with satisfaction at the striking representa- tion of a Prince, who has added to the many favours received by us from his illustrious house, that of deigning to preside over our Meet- ings and our Councils.

Of the papers that have been read at our Meetings, it is not necessary for me to speak. Of their merits you will be enabled to judge in a considerable degree by the Abstracts contained in our printed Proceedings; while those that have appeared to the Council, assisted by the Scientific Committees, to be of the most importance, will be found in the Philosophical Transactions. As a new proof of which I cannot, however, relrain from adverting for a moment to one topic, — the discovery of Photography, for which we are indebted to a Neipce, a Daguerre, and a Talbot; and which not only promises important results to art, but valuable assistance also, by the applica-