700 ACW EG ee be: 
BY 
A DY ERSIDGE, MUA. Ibid: PORS., 
PRESIDENT, 
At the Seventh Session of the Australasian Association 
for the Advancement of Science, 
JANUARY 6, 1898. 
First of all I wish to apologise for being a pluralist, 
although I am one very much against my wish, as wel! as 
against my principles—neither post can, however, I think, 
be regarded as asinecure. As I said on a previous occasion, 
it would have been ungracious on my part to have persisted 
in my disinclination to accept the distinguished position in 
which you have placed me to-night. With regard to the 
other office, I found no one willing to relieve me, and I felt. 
that 1t would be cowardly to slink away from its duties by 
resigning ; under the circumstances, I can only hope that 
the Association will not suffer in consequence. 
This address, such as it is, has been prepared under 
considerable difficulties, while occupied with many other 
duties, and I beg your forbearance accordingly. 
It is avery usual practice for the President of the British 
Association to pass in review the advancements made in 
science since the previous visit of the Association to the 
particular town in which the meeting is being held, or else 
to give an account of the progress made in his own spevial 
branch of study. 
The course followed by our own Presidents has usually 
been to give an account of the history and progress in 
Australia of some branch of science, such as Astronomy, 
A 
