president's address. 11 



ment at tbu Uni\ersity, and no properly equipped botanical laboratory in 

 this, the Mother-State of the Commonwealth. The Professor of Botany has been 

 carrying out important investigations on Australian Cryptogams since its estab- 

 lishment. But Australian Phanerogams offer a no less attractive and importc.nt 

 field for morphological research work. We cannot but hail, with great satisfac- 

 tion, the appointment of JNIiss Collins, because this is not only the firet time 

 that a Linnean Macleay Fellow in Botany has been appointed, but it is the first 

 time that a botanical candidate has offered. Moreover, she is interested in Aus- 

 tralian problems; and it is the investigation of characteristic Australian problems 

 that is urgently needed, to the exclusion of purely academic biological problems 

 ■which can be carried out au\-vvhere else on the habitable globe; and which may 

 be left to those who lack the opportunity or the resources for othei-wise getting 

 to work. Anotlier source of satisfaction is that the systematists may now hope 

 for some of that needful co-operation, without which they have had to work, as 

 best they could, for so long. 



Dr. A. B. Walkom, who succeeded me as Secretary, to-day completes his 

 fii'st year of service. As a Memher of the Society since 1909, and as a Linnean 

 Macleay Fellow in Geology, 1912-13, he began with some preliminary knowledge 

 of the Society and its work, and was not a stranger to us. As Hon. Secretary 

 of the Royal Society of Queensland for tour years, and as President for one year 

 before bis removal to Sydney, he had the opportunity of gaining experience which 

 has-been very useful to him and to the Society. He was Lecturer in Geology in 

 the University of Queensland for six years, and was selected by the Council out 

 of thirteen candidates. As I have co-operated with him in preparing an up-to- 

 date catalogue of the serial publications in the Society's library; and, in other 

 ways, have been in close touch with him ever since his appointment, it affords me 

 much pleasure to bear my testimony to his capacity for taking u|) and carrying 

 out his duties, as well as to his zeal and efficiency. 



The Council has also been able to jirovide for an assistant; and I have plea- 

 sure in saying that Miss Watson is very efficiently carrying out her duties. 



One of the lessons which the War has forced upon the attention of the British, 

 as well as other nations, is the importance of Science in the conduct of human 

 affairs, and especially the need of a more satisfactory organisation of scientific 

 effort . Scientific experts in Great Britain are expressing the \'iews, not only from 

 the purely British standpoint, but also from the British national or imperial stand- 

 point. Through their representati\-e, the Royal Society of London, they are ask- 

 ing the Dominions not only to co-operate with the mother-country to this end, and 

 for this purpose; but also to join with the mother-country in an International co- 

 operative effort with which it is associated, and for the establislnnent of which, 

 some progress has already been made, as the result of two Inter- Allied Conferences 

 on the future conduct of scientific work of an international character, held in 

 Paris, November 26-29, 1918; and in -July, 1919. Accoi-dingly. early in the year, 

 the Royal Society of New South Wales, as the senior Scientific Society of the 

 Commonwealth, was a.sked by the Royal Society of London "to take the necessary 

 steps to establish some organisation in Australia which could act as a National 

 Research Council and nominate National Committees of such Associations as you 

 may desire to join." 



The Royal Society of New South Wales accordingly communicated with the 

 Scientific Societies in the different States of the Commonwealth, asking them to 

 appoint delegates; and when this had been carried out, it arranged for a Con- 



