Chairman's Opening Address

I have to congratulate the Society on the re-appointment to our Presidential Chair of Lord Kelvin, first of British Physicists. Five years ago, as you are aware, Lord Kelvin became President of the Royal Society of London, at the urgent request of that body. This is not the first time, I may remind you, that we have provided a President for the London Society. The Philosophical Society of Edinburgh, as our body was known before it received the Royal Charter authorising it to assume its present designation, gave two Presidents to the Royal Society of London—namely, the Earl of Morton and Sir John Pringle, Bart.In his Address, delivered two years ago, our respected ex-President took note of some of the more important papers communicated to the Society during the immediately preceding Sessions. I think I can hardly do better than follow his example. But before making the attempt, I wish briefly to refer to the successful completion within the present year of a great national undertaking. I allude, of course, to the famous “Challenger” Expedition. Our Library has now received the two volumes of Summary of Results, with Appendices, which complete the Society's set of the fifty volumes of Reports of the Scientific Results of the Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger. These voluminous Reports form by far the largest contribution hitherto made to Marine Zoology. Indeed, their publication marks an epoch in this department of science.