president's address. 817 



111 this connection, though not a matter directly concerning 

 this Society, it is a matter for congratulation to note the recent 

 appointment of Dr. F. Tidswell, lately Demonstrator in Physiology 

 in the University of Sydney in succession to Dr. INIartin, as 

 Bacteriologist to, and the establishment of a Biological and 

 Bacteriological Laboratory in connection with, the Board of 

 Health. This important new departure, taken in conjunction 

 with the appointment of the Macleay Bacteriologist, betokens a 

 noteworthy improvement in the prospects of scientific Bacteriology 

 in this colony. 



Passing now from the consideration of the Society's more 

 private concerns, T propose to touch upon one or two outside matters 

 of interest. In October last some of us had the pleasure of 

 boarding the s.s. John Williams to welcome back Professor and 

 Mrs. David and some of the members of the party which visited 

 the island of Funafuti last year for the purpose of putting down 

 a bore in the coral reef. At the time of Professor David's 

 departure from the island, the boring had reached a depth of 557 

 feet without getting through the reef. Later on Mr. Sweet 

 arrived with the rest of the party, bringing the news that a depth 

 of 698 feet had been finall}^ reached, but without touching bed- 

 rock. We have had the pleasure of hearing from Professor 

 David a general account of his visit; and in a recent number of 

 the Proceedings of the Royal Society of London (Vol. Ixii. p. 200, 

 Dec. 1897), will be found his Preliminary Report on the results of 

 the expedition; so that I need not enter into further details. 

 But I cannot allow this occasion to pass without doing what, T 

 feel sure the Society will look to me to do, namely, to tender to 

 Professor David and his coadjutors not only the hearty congratu- 

 lations of this Society on the success which has attended their 

 enthusiastic labours, but also our earnest wishes for complete 

 success in any further efforts which he may be able to make 

 towards settling this important question. 



In the early part of January of this year the Australasian 

 Association for the Advancement of Science held its seventh 

 Meeting in this city. As you already know, the Meeting in the 



