544 president's address. 



The library is steadily increasing in importance by additions — 

 during the past year for the most part received in the way of 

 exchanges. Societies in Europe and America which, more par- 

 ticularly of late, have adopted the plan of sending their publications 

 by post, and in some cases have asked that our despatches may be 

 sent through the same channel, are requested to note that though 

 New South Wales is nominally a member of the Postal Union, 

 yet for some occult reason* the rates chargeable on postal matter 

 other than letters leaving the colonies for transmission to Europe 

 and America are higher — by as much as fifty or one hundred per 

 cent. — than on those which reach us from the countries mentioned. 



The event of the year has of course been the issue of the 

 Macleay Memorial Volume. 



The editorship of this work has been undertaken by our 

 Secretary, Mr. J. J. Fletcher, M.A., B.Sc, and carried out in a 

 manner which merits the highest praise. The idea so happily 

 conceived by our late President, Professor Haswell, of gathering 

 togethei" an oinis mognum of recent research in Natural Science 

 to commemorate the founder of our Society has been carried 

 into execution with eminent success, and the ready response to 

 the appeal to the most eminent scientific authorities in Austra- 

 lasia to contribute papers was proof in itself of how widespread 

 throughout Australasia was the appreciation of the work which 

 Sir William Macleay had done to advance Natural Science in all 

 its branches. 



* Thus subsequently officially explained: "This colony docs come within 

 the Postal Union ; also the minimum rate of postage fixed by article 5 of 

 the Vienna Convention for printed matter is ^d. per 2oz. ; but union 

 countries have the right when such correspondence is conveyed by sea for 

 a distance of over 300 miles, and is subject to a charge for such conveyance, 

 to levy a postage not exceeding a penny per 2oz. Great Britain and the 

 United States of America, as well as a number of other union countries, levy 

 the minimum rate of postage, whilst New South Wales and all t)ie other 

 Australasian colonies (excepting Fiji and New Zealand) levy the maximum 

 rate of postage to protect their revenues from loss ; hence the difference in 

 the postage pointed out." 



