PEOCEEDINGS. Ul 



It will be remembered that the Society, with the help of a 

 subsidy from the Government, undertook the removal of the 

 Ceratodus from its native habitats to other waters of Southern 

 ■Queensland, in the hope of preserving this rare and historically 

 interesting fish from extinction. This work, which the Council 

 left solely in the hands of Mr. D, O'Connor, has been success- 

 fully carried out. A full report by Mr; O'Connor is contained 

 in the volume of Proceedings now in the Press. 



The Microscopical Section has held two meetings during 

 the year, at one of which Mr. C. J. Pound gave an exhibition of 

 microscopical illumination. Mr. F. Whitteron has accepted the 

 Secretaryship of the Section. The Council last year approached 

 the Government with a request to reduce the duty (25 per cent.) 

 on microscopes, and it is gratifying to notice that the duty has 

 now been removed ^together, which will prove of great benefit 

 to students in this branch of science. 



In April last a special meeting was held to confirm the 

 two following rules which the Council wished to add : — 



1. That members of the Royal Societies of New South 



Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Tasmania, 

 non-resident in Queensland, be admitted to 

 ordinary meetings of this Society by virtue of 

 their membership in such societies. 



2. That during the present year (1896) the rule which 



requires tbe payment of one guinea entrance fee 

 be suspended, and new members be required to 

 pay only the annual subscription. 

 It is proposed to extend the operations of the latter rule 

 <2) to the year 1807. 



A new departure has been made durmg the year, viz., the 

 holding of Popular Lectures on scientific subjects. The first of 

 these was helil in July last, when the Rev. G. D. Buchanan 

 lectured on " Star Photography," and the second in November, 

 when Mr. R. H. Roe delivered a lecture on " Darwin and the 

 Darwinian Theory." Both lectures were very successful, except 

 from a financial point of a vie^v. There was a small debit 

 balance in each case, but it must be remembered that members 

 of the Society and many others were admitted free. The 

 propagation of scientific information may be held to justify the 



