PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 7 



first of these, it is shown that a considerable number of our 

 grasses contain cyanogenetic compounds, but that very few 

 contain free hydrocyanic acid. There are indications that only 

 the latter is a poisoning factor in these grasses. The investiga- 

 tion is, accordingly, being continued in the direction of ascertain- 

 ing what substances are capable of decomposing the glucoside, 

 and what conditions are necessary to bring about poisonous 

 results. The examination of the alkaloids of certain solanaceous 

 and other plants is being carried on. 



Mr. E. F. Kallmann, B.Sc, Linnean Macleay Fellow in Zoology, 

 has almost completed his first paper entitled "Revision of the 

 Monaxonid Species described as new in Lendenfeld's Catalogue 

 of the Sponges in the Australian Museum," which will be read at 

 the Meeting in May. Mr. Kallmann's progress in the study of the 

 Monaxonida has been greatly retarded not only by the inherent 

 difficulties in the way of a satisfactory classification of this group, 

 a subject which one of the most experienced workers at sponges has 

 characterised as "actually repulsive from its difficulties"; but he has 

 been greatly hampered by the grossly inaccurate and misleading 

 character of njany of the descriptions given in the Catalogue; and 

 also because the specimens of types, in two different Collections, 

 do not agree either with each other, or with the descriptions; 

 while each of them includes cases of similarly labelled specimens 

 belonging to dissimilar species. 



In consequence of the increased income from the Fellowships 

 Fund for last year, for the first time the Council was able to off'er 

 four Fellowships. Three applications were received in response. 

 I have now the pleasure of making the first public announcement 

 of the re-appointment of Dr. J. M. Petrie and Mr. E. F. Kail- 

 man, to Linnean Macleay Fellowships in Biochemistry and 

 Zoology, and of the appointment of Mr. W. Noel Benson, B.A., 

 B.Sc, to a Fellowship in Geology, for one year, from 1st proximo. 

 Mr. Benson, in joining the research-staff of the Society, comes 

 with the highest qualifications. He completed the course for the 

 B.Sc. degree in the University of Sydney, in 1907, with First 

 Class Konours in Geology and Mineralogy. For some time he was 



