PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 3 



greater than usual; and, though one was withdrawn for some 

 supplementary additions, the remaining twenty-five take up an 

 additional space of about 40 pages, as compared with thirty-seven 

 papers of the year before. 



Mr. Hedley's important paper embodying the results of his 

 patient examination of the types of Australian Mollusca in 

 European and American Museums, illustrated with excellent 

 figures of many of them, will be of great service to Australian 

 conchologists. It is the kind of paper, of which Australian 

 naturalists need many more, in other branches of knowledge. 



When the suggestive papers of Mr. Andrews and Mr. Benson 

 were read, it was proposed that detailed discussion thereon 

 should be postponed until the papers were in print, and Mr. 

 Benson had returned from England. We may look forward, 

 therefore, to interesting discussions on the development of the 

 Myrtacece, and on the geology and petrology of the Serpentine- 

 Belt of New South Wales during the current Session, on dates 

 to be announced. 



The discussion on "The Study of Zoogeographical Distribution 

 by means of Specific Contours," introduced by Mr. R.J. Tillyard 

 at the Meeting in May, aroused much interest; but it seemed 

 evident that the existing lack of a sufficiently detailed knowledge 

 of the geographical distribution and range of many common 

 groups, both of animals and plants, placed Members who are 

 interested in these^ at a disadvantage in applying Mr. Tillyard's 

 views. 



The names of nine new Members were added to the Roll 

 during the year. Two Members resigned; two Ordinary Mem- 

 bers, Mr. E. Betche, and Mr. T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S., of 

 Hobart, and one Honorary Member, Dr. Albert C. L. G. Giinther, 

 C.M.G., F.R.S., have been removed by death. 



M r. Ernst Betche, Senior Botanical Assistant at the Botanical 

 Gardens, Sydney, who died on 29th June, was born at Potsdam, 

 about sixty one years ago. He was interested in horticulture in 

 his early days, having first studied at the Horticultural College 

 of his native city ; subsequently gaining experience at the 

 Municipal Gardens in Berlin, and at the horticultural establish- 



