President's address. 21 



is in greal contrast to the occurrence of inactive inositol, which 

 exists as a plastic substance in in<>s( plants. Dr. Petrie proposes 

 to continue his work on the cyauogenesis of plants. Helms 

 also begun a preliminary analysis <>i" the leaves uf Macrozamia, 

 with the object of obtaining some knowledge of its reputed 

 poisonous properties. 



Dr. lv. J. Tillyard, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the Society in 

 Zoology, is a contributor of twelve papers to last years Volume. 

 These comprise: — Nos. 3 and 4 of the series treating of the Meso- 

 zoic Insects of Queensland: Nos. 5, 6, and 7 of the series of 

 St in lies in Australian Neuroptera: the Introduction, and Nos. 1 

 and 2 of the series dealing with the Panorpoid Complex, a study 

 <>f the phylogeny of the Holometabolous Insects, with special 

 reference to the Suhelasses Panorpoidea and Neuropteroidea; A 

 critical discussion of the affinities of two interesting fossil insects 

 from the Upper Carboniferous of Commentry, France; A descrip- 

 tion of a fossil insect-wing from the roof of the coal-seam in the 

 Sydney Harbour Colliery; The second of a series of studies in 

 Australian Mecoptera; and an account of the Australian Megal- 

 optera or Alder-flies, with descriptions of new Genera and Species. 

 The investigation of the Orders comprised in the Panorpoid 



C plex will continue to he Dr. Tillyard's first line of research: 



and Australian fossil insects, of which much and important 

 material awaits study, will also receive his attention. Two 

 papers have already been completed, and submitted. One of 

 them, a first contribution relating to the Micropterygidce, is set 

 down for the April Meeting. The other continues the series 

 descriptive of the Mesozoic Insects of Queensland. Dr. Tillyard 

 is to he congratulated on the important branches of his subject 

 which he is opening up, and also all concerned upon the accumu- 

 lation, in various ways, of the fruitful material he is studying. 



Dr. H. S. Halcro Wardlaw, Linnean Macleay Fellow of the 

 Society in Physiology, is a contributor of two papers to the Volume 

 for 1918. The first treats of the relation between the fat-content 

 and the electrical conductivity of milk. This has already appeared 

 in Part 3 of the Proceedings. It is shown that the removal of fat 



