Page:Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Vol 60.djvu/333

306 its report. More recently, in July, the Council, at the request of H.M. Secretary for Colonial Affairs, appointed a Committee to consider, and if necessary to investigate, in conjunction with SurgeonMajor Bruce, who has made important researches in the matter, the disease caused in cattle in Africa by the Tsetse Fly. The Committee is still engaged on the inquiry.

We believe that the Council, in cordially responding to requests like the above, and in freely placing at the disposal of H.M. Government its scientific knowledge and its acquaintance with scientific men, is performing one of its most important functions. The Council of the Royal Society is again and again called upon to approach H.M. Government on behalf of the interests of science, and when it does so always meets with a cordial reception and a respectful hearing, even on occasions when public necessities prevent a favourable reply being given to its requests. In return, the Council believes it to be its duty (when called upon to do so), not only to place its own time and labour ungrudgingly at the service of H.M. Government, but also to ask for the co-operation of other Fellows of the Society, or even other scientific men not Fellows of the Society, feeling confident that whenever the matter in hand has practical bearings beyond the simple advancement of 1STatural Knowledge, the value of a scientific man’s time and energy will be duly considered.

Some correspondence has taken place with the W ar Office relative to resumiug the borings in the Delta of the Kile, which were carried on for a time some years ago, and which, though not completed, yielded valuable results. The Expedition to the Soudan has, however, prevented anything being done. The Council learn with pleasure that the old borings, undertaken for a purely scientic object, have indirectly been a valuable means of supplying certain districts of the Delta with sweet water.

If anything had been needed to justify the meetings for discussion recently established, it would have been supplied by the brilliant success of that held during the present session on Colour Photography. On that occasion, M. Lippmann gave us a demonstration of results of unprecedented beauty, obtained by extremely simple means, though based on profound mathematical reasoning. Such meetings can only prove fruitful when they are held in consequence of some theme needing such a discussion as is afforded by a special meeting; and their occurrence must therefore be uncertain and irregular. The purpose for which they were instituted would be frustrated if they were held at times fixed in any formal way, irrespective of whether they were needed or no.

Three of the informal gatherings recently instituted, limited to Fellows of the Society, have been held during the session, and were judged to be very successful.