xl PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER. 



received at the hantls of scientists at lioine, and may lead to the pro- 

 ceedings of this and kindred societies in the other colonies being more 

 siudied. It is true tliat our pul)lications go home now, but people live 

 at such high pressun' that tiicy luive little time to unearth the many 

 gems tliese contain unless tliey are directly brought to their notice. But 

 au association of this sort, by directing attention to what is being done 

 in the cause of the advancement of science generally, cannot fail to 

 secure greater attention beinu paid to the work in these colonies, mucn 

 of wliicii is on a level with similar work produced at home. Our society 

 was worthily represented at the tirst meeting of the association which 

 was held in Sydney in August List by our senior vice-president, Mr. 

 Barnard, who did his utmost to secure that the next annual- gathering 

 of tlu! association should i)e held at Ilobart. In this, I am sorry to 

 say, he was not successful ; but when the meeting does take place hero 

 we shall accord the representatives from the other colonies a most hearty 

 v/elcome. Our Society naturally takes great Interest in the Centennial 

 Exhibition now being held at Melbourne, and we are particularly pleased 

 at the completeness of the Natural History collection in the Tasmanian 

 Court. The exhibits also from the technical schools of Tasmania are 

 very creditaljle, considering how short a time the schools have been in 

 operation. In conclusion, <jur best thanks are due to those of our 

 members who hav« submitted papers and taken part in the discussions 

 upon them, and to our secretary, Mr. Morton, who is as indefatigable as 

 ever. To the Press also we ar<! much indebted for their accounts of the 

 proceedings at our meetings. We hope that from a business point of 

 view it suits their purpose to give the full reports they do of our pro- 

 ceedings, but nevertheless we are under obligations to them for the 

 space which they always ungrudgingly allot to the operations of the 

 Society. In bidding you farewell till next year, I would again impress 

 upon you, as I did last year, the importance of more members doing 

 work for the Society, and especially I w^ould ask our medical friends, 

 who are experts in matters relating to health and sanitation, not to let 

 another session pass without contributing to the Society some papers 

 on these all important subjects. I know how valuable the time of 

 medical men is, but I know also how much science owes to them, and I 

 dare hope that the medical men of Ilobart will not be behind their 

 fellows elsewhere in that devotion to the cause of science for which the 

 profession is so worthily distinguished. I hope also that a suggestion 

 I made last year, altiiough it has not been acted upon this session, may 

 be acted upon in future sessions, and it is this. As you know, we receive 

 from other scientific societies copies of their proceedings in exchange 

 for ours, and I would again suggest to some of our members how 

 advantageous it would be to us if they would, in the shape of papers 

 which could be read at our Society, tell us something of the work those 

 other societies are turning outonkindred subjects to ourown. Tliiswould 

 not only be very interesting and instructive, but I bulit;vc that it would 

 both directly and indirectly tend to improve our original work, and thus 

 still further increase the usefulness of this society, whose interests we 

 all have so much at heart. I regret that this is the last occasion on which 

 wo shall bo favoured at this Society with the genial presence of ilia 

 Lordship the Bishop, and I assure him that the best wishes of the 

 Hociety will follow him into his new sphere of labour. (Loud applause). 

 Sir Lamiikkt DoitsoN said their president had summed up the work of 

 the session so compactly that it was almost presumptive for him to say 

 anything after it. They owed a great deal to His Excellency for the 

 great interest he took in their Society. He had at times trembled for 

 the Society when he had seen men like Mr. Spiccr, Kathcr.Julian Woods, 

 and others going irum them, and he hoped yet to sec something done to 

 enlarge the scope of the Society as suggested by IHa Excellency. The 

 Society was started by Sir John Franklin as a recording society, and 



