10 president's address. 



possible that there were many others who would join an Associa- 

 tion with such a wide basis, tliey have appealed to the public 

 through the daily papers of all the colonies, very frequently l>y 

 advertisement and paragraph, and the result is that to-day our 

 numbers are 750*, which, T think, is very satisfactory and en- 

 couraging. I cannot pass from this reference to the Council 

 without expressing on l^ehalf of the Association our recognition 

 and warmest thanks, for the hard and continuous woi'k which 

 has been done by the Secretaries of Sections, in working up 

 those Sections, writing countless letters, guide, handbooks, etc., 

 and to all the Members of the Council for their cheerful 

 hard work to further the end in view. I may mention that 

 in Australasia there are only 38 Scientific Societies known 

 to the officers of this movement. All these were appealed to by 

 letter ; 34 expressed their intention of taking part in it, and of 

 tliese 28 sent representatives to the meetings — this out of a 

 population which may be roughly stated at 4 J- millions. In 1831 

 wlien the parent Society was formed the popuhition of the United 

 Kingdom was 23 millions, and there were in existence 39 Scientific 

 Societies. 



I have endeavoured thus briefly to sketch the history of the 

 movement which has resulted in the present Association. Like 

 the British Association, our basis is broad enough to take in 

 " whatever desire there may be in the country to promote science," 

 and those who have joined hope that no man will stand aloof who 

 has any desire to help in the advancement of science. After the 

 experience gathei'ed by a similar institution in the old country I 

 have no fear for the future of this movement. I do not expect 

 the Association to emerge from the sliell of its first meeting perfect ; 

 that would be unreasonable ; but I believe that we have accepted 

 a constitution and acquired an impulse which in the course of 

 time will lead us on to the realisation of our purpose. The 

 scientific man works very much alone, isolated from those around 

 him by his peculiar manner of life, and from liis fellow-workers 

 by distance, because so far the world expects each scientific man 

 to be a world in himself, to be able to do all it wants of that 

 science, and is not disposed to keep several where one can be 

 made co do. The call of the British Association, therefore, to 

 meet once a year those who are like-minded, appeals to his social 

 instincts in a very effective way. Hence the opportunity of going 

 to the meeting to see and talk with his fellow-workers is not to be 

 lost. It is a real pleasure to have a talk with kindred spirits, 

 and a very effective motive for application all through the year, 

 for no man would clioose under such circumstances to neglect his 

 self-culture, and feel at the meeting that he was far Ijeliind his 

 fellows. Then these meetings naturally led to the formation of 



*820 At the close of the Meeting. 



