ANNUAL REPORT. 



Your Committee have the pleasure of placing the Eighteenth 

 Annual Report before the Society. The number of our Members 

 amounts at present to 617, and the interest shown generally in 

 the work of the Society has increased, as the scope of the work 

 has extended. In the early days of the Society we were content 

 with three Sections, now there are seven with the prospect of an 

 eighth in the coming year. This is a step in the right direction 

 for we wish as far as possible to include all those who are 

 advancing the interests of Education. Each Section has brought 

 as it were fresh life and new ideas amongst us, and it has been 

 found that all subjects included under the head of Natural 

 Science have tended wonderfully to illustrate one another. So 

 far this is a very hopeful state of things, but in these days of 

 competition, we must never forget that to know one thing well 

 is infinitely better than imperfect knowledge on many heads. 

 One subject or pursuit thoroughly mastered is the very best 

 introduction to the taking up of any fresh study, as it will have 

 imparted a strength and steadiness to the mind which is never 

 attained by dilettante work. 



It has been a source of much satisfaction to your Committee 

 that during the past year the debt on our present Building has 

 been entirely wiped out through the kindness and liberality of 

 some of our Members, and we can now look forward with 

 satisfaction to some increase of accommodation. 



Our local collections during the past year have quite out- 

 grown the room appropriated to the specimens. Excellent 

 work has been done in this department, and we are largely 

 indebted to our Curator, Mr. R. Newstead, who, by his ability, 

 tact, and knowledge, has proved to us that we have the right 

 man in the right place. The details of all that has been done 

 will be furnished in the Curator's Report, but the Committee 



