president's address. 677 



augmented. But this increase, as a rule, is attributable to the 

 election of gentlemen who take an active interest in the study 

 of Natural History, and, I regret to say, not due in a proportionate 

 degree to the much-desired assistance by subscription of the 

 large portion of the community, whose time is necessarily and 

 assiduously occupied in commercial, mechanical and other 

 pursuits, but to whom, without any encroachment upon their 

 much-needed leisure hours, these patient researches of the 

 studious frequently prove of substantial benefit ; and it should 

 be remembered that our association has from its commencement 

 in the main endeavoured to keep the varied and extensive science 

 of Natural History subservient to public utility and the useful 

 arts ; and there are not wanting instances in the pages of our 

 journal to prove the success already achieved in that direction. 



In the annual address for 1881 I drew your attention to the 

 unusually large and valuable donations and loans of books, 

 eminently adapted to our pursuits, which the Society had 

 received, and pointed out that this exceptional acquisition was 

 due to the munificence of the Hon. W. Macleay. On the present 

 occasion it again falls within my province to report the continu- 

 ance by the same liberal donor of these favours to the amount of 

 nearly £300. To the Vice-President and several others of our 

 members, and to those foreign Societies with which we are in 

 correspondence, we were likewise indebted for gifts of books, 

 works of reference, journals and transactions, together presenting 

 a marked and valuable addition to the shelves of our library. 

 These volumes, combined with the previous copious and expensive 

 collection of works, formed a compact library suitable and 

 adequate to our present wants, and the members rejoiced in 

 having at their command so valuable an auxiliary to study. I 

 need not tell you, for you are already well aware of the sorrowful 

 fact, that all our hopes have been disappointed, and that not a 

 single volume of this prized collection now remains. 

 SI 



