OP NEW SOUTH WALES. 409 



On the Echinodermata of the Australian Cainozoic (Ter- 

 tiary) deposits. By Professor P. Martin Dimcan, M.B., 

 F.R.S., President. 



The proceeedings of the various Foreign Societies of Natural 

 History do not, as far as I am aware, contain much during this 

 year on Australian subjects ; indeed, with the exception of a 

 series of Papers published in the Annals of the " Museo Civico " 

 of Genoa — on the Coleoptera of New Guinea, by Dr. Gestro ; on 

 the Birds, by Tommaso Salvadori ; and on the Mollusca, by G. 

 Fapparone Ganefri — I cannot recall to my memory having seen 

 any such Papers in any foreign periodical. 



Imperfect as I admit this portion of my Address to be, I am 

 afraid that my attempt to give you a review of the progress of the 

 Science of Natural History generally must necessarily be still 

 more so. It is certainly not in my power to give you more than 

 a very incomplete sketch of the advances made in Natural 

 Science during the year 1876. 



The number of books published, lectures given, and associations 

 formed, seem to be each year in excess of the preceding; and it is by 

 no means an easy task to keep up even a superficial acquaintance 

 with the accumulating facts and theories of the day. England, 

 once far behind France and Germany in the pursuit of Science, 

 seems now to have taken the first place ; while Russia, Italy, and 

 America seem determined not to be left far behind in the race. 

 In the latter country, in particular, the desire to promote Scien- 

 tific education is evinced by the pi'ominent place given to Natiu'al 

 Science in their Universities, and by the tempting offers which 

 they hold out to men of the highest European reputation to enter 

 their service. It would be well, I think, if in this respect Aus- 

 tralia were to follow her example. 



The book of the year has been " The Geographical Distribution 

 of Animals," by Alfred Russell Wallace. It is a large work, in 

 two volumes, is replete with information, and is a book which 







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