president's address. 623 



and that already nearly four j^ears have elapsed since the principal 

 became available. And while on the one hand the Council does 

 not expect to attract an eminent European Bacteriologist to the 

 Colonies — nor could Sir William have contemplated such a con- 

 tingency; yet on the other hand the Council is not altogether 

 without hope that it is possible to find a thoroughly competent 

 and enthusiastic Bacteriologist, animated with the true scientific 

 spirit, who will appreciate the prospect of carrying on original 

 investigations under very favourable circumstances. 



With satisfaction may be noted the pleasing evolutionary 

 development in the scope of the Society's scientific work. At 

 the outset this was exclusively zoological. In the Second Annual 

 Address of the first President (Sir William Macleay) the hope 

 was expressed that at no distant date contributions from botanists 

 and geologists would find a place in the Proceedings. Sir William 

 lived to see that hope amply fulfilled. Animal morphology also 

 has become an important feature of the Proceedings. One would 

 be glad to see the morphology of plants commanding a portion of 

 the attention it deserves, but the outlook is not a promising one 

 in that direction anywhere in Australia. The subject apart from 

 that of Bacteriology, languishes at present for want of students 

 for the conditions for their encouragement here are wanting. It 

 would be well if we had even a small edition of such a botanical 

 laboratory as that at the Botanical Gardens at Buitenzorg, Java, 

 so ably {)resided over by Dr. Treub, and so liberally provided for 

 by the Dutch Government 



Since the last Annual Meeting our numbers have been dimin- 

 ished by the deaths of one Honorary and three Ordinary Members. 

 Professor Sven Loven, the eminent Swedish naturalist, died on 

 September 6th last at the advanced "^ age of 87. Since 1841 he 

 had filled the appointments of Professor and Conservator of the 

 Royal Museum of Natural History, Stockholm. He devoted 

 much study to the marine fauna of the Baltic and the North 

 Seas, special attention being given to Echinoderms. Professor 

 Loven was elected an Honorary Member of this Societ}^ in 1891. 



