XXXV 



ill the early thirties and forties, 

 they now possess the greatest historical 

 value. Besides the large and valuable 

 collection of birds and other objects of 

 interest, presented by His Lord-hip to 

 our Museum, we have to thank Mrs. 

 Montgomery and His Lordship for the 

 magnificent and celebrated 'Milton 

 Shield,' just presented by them to our 

 National Art Gallery." (Applause.) 



The Chairman then road the following 

 address to the Bishop : — 



"Dear Lord Bishop, — As members of 

 the Council. and as representatives of the 

 Fellows of the Royal Society, we desire 

 to give expression to our feelings of re- 

 gret at your approaching departure from 

 among us. Of our personal esteem and 

 regard for yourself you are Avell aware, 

 but we may also testify to our apprecia- 

 tion of the services, which as a con- 

 tributor to the Transactions, and as 

 a promoter of early historical research 

 you have rendered to the Society, and of 

 the good offices to vrhich we owe the ac- 

 quisition of a unique and valuable series 

 of artistic drawings commemorative of 

 early colonial days. Though cTeeply sen- 

 sible of the loss which mrst follow the 

 severance of your direct and i)ersonal 

 connection with the Royal Society, we 

 are gratified to know that you are called 

 to occupy a position of great importance 

 and usefulness in the Mother-Country. 

 Of the arduous character of the duties 

 of that office it is not for us to speak; 

 but we are well asured that they will be 

 in entire c .nsonance wilh your own aspi- 

 rations, and we believe that their execu- 

 tion will h'' materially aided by the 

 wide and varied experience gainecl during 

 your episcopate in Tasmania. In ])i(lcling 

 you farewell, we desire to associate ^Nlrs. 

 Montgomery with yourself in tlie good 

 wis-hes which Ave now cordially offer." 

 (Applause.) 



The Chairman mentioned that the 

 Council had nominated the Bishop of 

 Tasmania as an honorary member of 

 the Royal Society, and said he hoped 

 they might count upon a continuance of 

 his interest in the society. As an hon- 

 i rar^' member, he would take the place 

 of L- e late Baron Von Mueller. 



The election of the Bishop as honorary 

 member was then agreed to. (Applause.) 



The Bishop of Tasmania said that this 

 was the last occasion of his appearance 

 in public here. He felt deeply grate- 



ful to the Royal Society for their ad- 

 dress. He was prouder of his member- 

 siiiu and vice-presidency of the society 

 than of any other secular office which 

 he had held. It had been one of the 

 traditions of the society that it had 

 never been known that once a person was 

 nominated for membership a black ball 

 was put into the box. But there was 

 one striking exception. He had never 

 had a white ball given him. (Laugh- 

 ter.) when he was balloted for it was 

 found that there was not a white ball 

 in the box. (More laughter.) He was 

 elected entirely in black balls. (Con- 

 tinued laughter.; He thanked the so- 

 <iiety very much, on his own behalf and 

 Mrs. Montgomery's. They had tried 

 to do their humble part in society dur- 

 ing their stay in Tasmania. He had 

 never had any scientific training, but he 

 had a love of Nature and of birds, and 

 his case ought to an encouragement to 

 non-scientific people to join the society. 

 In the future, he would have to carry on 

 correspondence with every part of the 

 world, and the training he had received 

 in the Roval Society of Tasamnia would 

 be of use to him. In obtaining trea- 

 sures from distant lands, he owned first 

 allegiance to his own society, but, in the 

 second place, he would always remember 

 Tasmania. (Applause.) The Bishop 

 then read the following reply to the so- 

 ciety's address : — Gentlemen, — I beg to 

 offer you grateful thanks for your ad- 

 dress to me. There is no body to which I 

 1 ave been so proud to belong in this land, 

 as to the Royal Society of Tasmania. 

 Indeed, it is an interesting fact that at 

 a meetinpf at the Colonial Institution in 

 London, just after my consecration in 

 1889, I referred to the Royal Society as 

 one of the objects to which I ought to 

 direct mv attention. Ever since I came 

 to Tasmania, it has been one of my 

 greatest joys to take part in the meet- 

 ings, and to work for our national col- 

 lection in the Museum. I hold that all 

 who have enjoyed the privileges of mem- 

 bership here, ought in some way to con- 

 tribute to our treasures, either during 

 their life-time or by bequest. So far 

 as I have been able to do so, I have not 

 forgotten this ideal. Nor is it anything 

 but delight to obtain from others for the 

 Museum those relics and trt^asures which 

 are sure to be lost unless they find a 

 home in a national collection. If in 

 days to come, I can aid the Royal So- 

 ciety in any manner, I shall be eager to 



