Proceedings of the Royal Society of Victoria. 117 



paper contributed by Mr. T. Wakelin, B.A., of Grey town, 

 New Zealand, on " Tlie Production of the Tides, 

 Mechanically Considered." 



Your Council has departed from the usual custom, by 

 holding the Conversazione at the end of the session in 

 December, and judgino- by the great success of the meeting, 

 the change may be regarded as an improvement. The 

 principal objects in doing so were that the proceedings of 

 the whole year could thus be noticed and reviewed by the 

 President in his Address, and that the year's Transactions 

 might be completely published in the annual volume during 

 the recess, instead of combining in the same volume the 

 Annual Re]5ort and proceedings of one year with the 

 transactions of the preceding year. It may probably be 

 found better another year that the Monthly Meeting in 

 December should precede the Conversazione instead of 

 being held the following week. 



Your Council has to congratulate the Society upon one 

 important step in the right direction having been made 

 during the past year. The Microscopical Society of 

 Melbourne has found it to its advantage to combine with 

 the Ro3\al Society and to form Section D, as provided for 

 in the Laws of this Society. This brought an accession 

 of thirty members to the Royal Society. Eleven other 

 members and thi'ee honorary members of the Microscopical 

 Society were already members of the Royal Society,, and 

 did not require to be elected. It is to be hoped that other 

 societies will follow the example of the late Microsco])ical 

 Society, and illustrate the truth of the old adage that 

 union is strength. 



The following members and associates have been elected 

 during the vear: — Messrs. A. H. Jackson, B.Sc, F.C.S. ; 

 J. B. Lewis { J. J. Wild, Ph.D., F.R.G.S. ; and W. H. Irvine, 

 on the 10th of March. Professor D. O. Masson, as a member; 

 Mr. C. H. Richards, as a country member ; and Messrs. 

 Pietro Baracchi, James Blackburn, Rev. A. W. Cresswell, 

 Mr. W. S. Dawson, Dr. Thomas Porter, and Mr. G. A. M. 

 Pringle, as associates, on the 9th of June. Professor W. 

 Baldwin Spencer was dul}^ elected a member on the 14th of 

 July, together with the following members of the late 

 Microscopical Society :—Messr:. M. J. Allan, W. W. Allan, 

 W. H. Archer, F.L.S., F.I.A., &c. ; F. H. Baker, W. M. Bale, 

 Wm. Ball, F. Barnard, W. R. Bennetts, Jun., ; W. W. 



