620 president's address. 



is to the individual; still it marks the fact that infancy and 

 childhood so to speak are safely passed, and the difficulties 

 connected with the early growth of a Society successfully com- 

 bated. 



The history of the Society has quite recently been so fully dealt 

 with in the Introduction to the Macleay Memorial Volume, that I 

 need not go into it on the present occasion, but there are a few 

 matters connected with the work of the Societ}^ to which I will 

 briefly refer. 



There is the increasing responsibility which, more especially in 

 respect to financial matters, ever since Sir William Macleay's 

 retirement from active work, has devolved upon the Council. 

 Up to the time mentioned Sir William Macleay relieved 

 the Council of such burdens. Nevertheless the harmony which 

 characterised the meetings of those days continues undis- 

 turbed, and the desire of the members to cope fairly with the 

 greater responsibilities is evidenced by the high average 

 attendance of members at the meetings. This development in 

 the financial aspect of the Council's w^ork is one which should be 

 allowed due weight in the selection of members to sit on the 

 Council. The claims of the scientific aims of the Society to be 

 represented are not in danger, as we have many active members 

 ready to look after its interests in this respect. The endowment 

 fund, lately increased by the addition of the Bacteriology Bequest, 

 amounts to -over £30,000. To invest wisely and to keep wisely 

 invested so large a sum, the duty of which devolves on the 

 Council, requires the selection of a fair proportion of members 

 skilled and experienced in financial matters. 



The Proceedings of the first two years of the Society's work 

 were issued as Volume I. In the course of the next few 

 weeks the publication of our twentieth volume will be completed. 

 While a high average of value has been maintained we have, 

 in amount of matter published annually, outstripped most of our 

 sister Societies in Australasia, and our ability to do this we owe to 

 the beneticence of Sir William Macleay. 



