Presidential Address. 13 



connected with that disease justly entitles him to. He has for some 

 years been engaged in the investigation of Horse sickness, and has 

 already published his views as to the etiology of the disease and 

 the preventive measures to be adopted in connection with it, and I 

 hardly think we will be disappointed in expecting a considerable 

 addition to our knowledge of the conditions obtaining in that disease, 

 as a result of his recent investigations. 



The members of this Association will, I feel sure, unite with 

 me in congratulating Mr. A. W. Rogers, of the Cape Geological 

 Commission, on the recent award made to him of the Bigby Medal 

 bv the Geological Society in recognition of his contributions to South 

 African Geology. 



We have also to congratulate Mr. Methven on the award made 

 to him by the Institute of Civil Engineers, in recognition of his work 

 and achievements connected with South African Harbours. 



This Association received a great impetus as a result of the 

 visit of the British Association a couple of years ago, and the members 

 of the latter Society have, in a very practical manner, shown their 

 appreciation of any little kindness or attention extended to them 

 while with us, by the initiation of a South African Medal Fund 

 raised to commemorate their visit in 1905. The fund, in accordance 

 with the wish of the donors, has been invested in the name of trustees 

 appointed by the South African Association, and the administration 

 of the fund and the award of the medal, " For achievement and 

 promise in scientific research in South Africa," has been entrusted 

 to our Association. It may confidently be hoped that this generous 

 act on the part of the British Association will be the means of 

 stimulating the prosecution of original research in South Africa, and 

 the recipients of the medal will doubtless prize it all the more, seeing 

 it is the gift of the British Association, and that it forms a not 

 inappropriate link between a comparatively old and a very young 

 Scientific Association. 



The following statement relative to the magnetic survey of South 

 Africa has been kindly furnished to me by Dr. Beattie : "The 

 observational work in connection with the preliminary magnetic 

 survey is now almost completely reduced. The delay in publishing 

 the results is due to the fact that all the reductions have been made 

 twice to ensure as few errors as possible. The report will be sent 

 to press by the end of July of this year. Observations have been 

 made of 433 stations in all, extending from Agulhas to the Victoria 

 Falls. At over 20 stations widely distributed observations have been 

 made at different times to determine the secular variation of the 

 magnetic elements. The instruments used have been compared with 

 those of the Discovery, the Gauss, and of Major Chaves, Director 

 of the Meteorological Service in the Azores. By means of the latter 

 comparison the survey instruments have been compared with those 

 in France. A number of important conclusions have been drawn 

 with respect to the magnetic state of South Africa, which are of 

 economic value. The survey has also been the means of filling a 

 gap in our knowledge of the magnetic state of the earth." 



