president's address. 611 



with a substance positively chemotactic towards the latter, it 

 would be englobed and in all probability subsequently dissolved. 

 Such a covering occurs in the first phase of agglutination. This 

 matter was investigated and it was found, after the destruction 

 of certain substances which might interfere with the main issue, 

 that agglutinated bacteria were phagocytosed. It was also found 

 that bacteria which had been agglutinated by certain chemical 

 substances, instead of by active sera, were refused by the 

 phagocytes. The property of immune serum to induce the 

 phagoc3^tosis of bacteria has been previously noted and recently 

 the active substance has been called opsonin. The similar 

 behaviour of agglutinin suggested that they might be closely 

 related. The subject was experimentally examined and it was 

 shown that the opsonins and the agglutinins agreed in so many 

 points as to leave little doubt that opsonisation is the first phase 

 of agglutination. 



Two students received full courses of instruction in the 

 Society's laboratory during the year. 



It is with special pleasure that I allude to the receipt by 

 Professor Haswell of a grant of £125 from the Royal Society of 

 London for the purpose of carrying on dredging operations in the 

 Tasman Sea. Mr. Hedley is co-operating with Professor Haswell 

 in this important scientific undertaking. The military authorities 

 have granted the use of s.s. "Miner" for the purpose. Messrs. 

 BuUivant have kindly undertaken to supply the necessary 3,000 

 fathoms of steel wire rope, with special non-purchase reel, at cost 

 price, and, although this will absorb the bulk of the grant, it is 

 confidently anticipated that the results obtained will be such as 

 will lead to further aid being granted. It is intended to investi- 

 gate the life of the Tasman Sea at depths of about 2,000 fathoms, 

 dredges of special novel construction being used. 



Another matter of interest which I would just like to mention 

 is the recent examination of the Blue Lake, Mount Kosciusko, 

 by means of a little dredge worked in the most ingenious manner 

 from a specially built coracle by Professor David, Mr. Hedley, 

 and colleagues. The detailed results are not yet av..,iiable, but 



