18 president's address. 



Augustus Simson, of Launceston, Tasmania, who died in the 

 early part of the year, was also a senior Member, elected in 1880. 

 He was born in London in 1836, and was educated in England 

 and Germany. In 1863, he emigrated to Northern Queensland, 

 but about ten years later he went to Tasmania, and settled on 

 the east coast, which at tbat time was attracting much attention 

 on account of the discovery of extensive tin-fields. From 1879, 

 in partnership with his brother, he carried on the business of a 

 stock and share broker, especially interested in mining enter- 

 prises. Mr. Simson was very much interested in Natural His- 

 tory, and made extensive collections of insects, shells, and plants. 

 He was also a member of a Committee elected to report on and 

 advise the City Council respecting the best means of developing 

 the Launceston Museum. 



Alexander Horsburg Turnbull, a Member elected in 1913, died 

 at Wellington, N.Z., his birth-place, on June 27th, 1918. He 

 was born in September, 1868, was taken to England by his 

 parents in 1874, and was educated at Dulwich College. ►Sub- 

 sequently he travelled through France, Italy, and Morocco. He 

 entered a London mercantile house for a business training, in 

 1885; and, in 1892, returned to New Zealand to join his father's 

 business. One of his associates in London was an enthusiastic 

 lover of literature, and Mr. Turnbull also became a bibliophile; 

 and, in 1887, began to collect books, having in the meantime 

 inherited his father's library. At the time of his death, he had 

 accumulated a library, estimated to comprise about 80,000 

 volumes, valued approximately at about <£50,000 ; which he 

 bequeathed to his fellow-citizens. Mr. Turnbull aimed first of 

 all at making his collection as complete as possible in regard to 

 the literature of New Zealand, Australia, and the South Sea 

 Islands. But he was also interested in the English poets and 

 in General History and Autobiography; and also paid some 

 attention to choice examples of the bookbinder's art, as practised 

 by the most noted of them. His hope was to do for students 

 in New Zealand, what the late Mr. David S. Mitchell, founder 

 of the Mitchell Library in Sydney, has done for students in 



