12 president's address. 



borne out, the dit^coveiy will be oue of considerable int-erest and impt>rtaneo in 

 Palaeobotanj; for tliis reason, a sbort account of it has been prepared and for- 

 warded for publication in England. A description of some Jurassic Plants from 

 Western Australia, together with some notes on the occurreace of Otozaniites in 

 Australia has been completed and will appear in the coming year's Proceedings. 



Is All Well with the Macleay Museum of the University or Sydney? 



Sir William RIacleay's scientific energy was directed into two main channels; 

 and his efforts finally culminated in two important potentially fructifying enter- 

 prises. On the one hand, with the generous assistance of the Government, a duly 

 constituted Macleay Museum. On the other hand, the Linnean Society of New 

 South Wales, endowed not only for the ordinary purposes of a Scientific Society, 

 but in an especial manner for the encouragement of research-work in Natural 

 History. In his own characteristic way, Sir William linked up these two great 

 enterprises in such a way, that each of the two corporate bodies to whom these 

 enterprises were committed upon trust, in perpetuity, should have a locu.« siavdi 

 for a co-ordinate, reciprocal interest in what the otlier was doing with his Trust. 



Ever since it has been possible, the Linnean Society has given, in print, an 

 annual report of its stewardship, and has distributed the same to all entitled to 

 receive it. Where are the University's annual reports of its stewardship in con- 

 nection witli the Macleay Museum? 



In 1873, Sir William offered the amalgamated collections of Alexander Mac- 

 leay, W. S. Macleay, and his own, together with his scientific library, as a gift by 

 bequest, upon trust, to the Univei-sity, for the promotion of natural history, and 

 the instruction of students, and the inhabitants of the colony in the same. The 

 sum of £()()()() was offered at the same time for the endowment of a Curatorship. 

 At this time, the joint-collections of A. and W. S. Macleay amounted to 480 

 drawers of insects and other Annulosa, and W. Madeay's own collection to 320 

 drawers of insects. At this time Sir William had not appointed a Curator. Tlie 

 Sen<ite gratefully accepted the offer. The ('liancellor nnnonnccd tlie offer, and its 

 accejitance by the Senate, at the (^:)nunemoration in March. 1874. At this time 

 too, tlie Linnean Society of New Soutli Wales had not lieen so mucli as thought of, 

 nor was its establishment anticipated. 



After the offer had been made and accepteii. but b(>fnre the public announce- 

 ment was made. Sir William decided to appoint a Curator, Mr. George Mastei-s, 

 and decided to convert his own entomological collection into a general collecticm, 

 not only of Australian, but also of non-Australian Vei-tebrata, and Invertebrata; 

 and for fifteen years, with the co-operation of Masters, he continued to carry out 

 this intention. Why did he do tliis? To make the gift more worthy of acceptance 

 by the University. 



In 188.5 or 1886, Sir AVilliam changed his mind about leaving his scientific 

 library and llie ifacleay Collections as a he(|uest to the University. He withdrew 

 bis offer of the library altogether, and re-offered the now much enlarged Macleay 

 Collections as a gift during iiis life-time, if and ;is soon as a "suitable" l)uilding 

 — not a room in a building — was provided for them. For two reasons, because his 

 own collection had been so enlarged, that his private museum was overcrowded, 

 and that he niiturally wished to li.ive an opportunity of appro\-ing of the suitability 

 of the "suitable" building offered. He also offered to transfer his experienced 

 Curator, and an endowment -fund of £6000 to provide the Curator's salary. 



