138 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 



various branches of science in which they are interested, and 

 that their work is not quite in vain. 



I need hardly say, what all of you must already feel, how 

 much of this renewed vigour is due to the ability, the enthu- 

 siasm, and the unflagging industry of our worthy secretary. 

 For by its secretary a society like ours will rise or fall ; with- 

 out a secretary around whom men will rally, and with whom 

 they will consider it an honour and a pleasure to be asso- 

 ciated, any society will languish and finally expire. The 

 treasurer also has a most important share in the well-being of 

 a society. If the secretary supplies the nervous force, the 

 treasurer gathers in a very necessary kind of material food, 

 without which the body will starve. And we may, I think, 

 also congratulate ourselves that we have secured the services, 

 as treasurer, of a gentleman whose business capacity and 

 training, as well as his zeal for the prosperity of the Society, 

 eminently fit him for the task which he has undertaken. 



Our first meeting for the present session has, however, its 

 aspects of sadness as well as of rejoicing, for during the past 

 year Death has taken from us more than one of our prominent 

 members. We must all of us deeply regret that we shall 

 never again see amongst us the genial and familiar face of 

 our old and respected friend, Dr M'Bain, so many years an 

 active member of this Society, of which he was twice presi- 

 dent, and the contributor to its Proceedings of so many able 

 and interesting papers. A hand more able for the task than 

 mine will, however, perform the duty of laying before you a 

 suitable memoir of our departed friend, for Mr Grieve, whose 

 acquaintance with the late Dr M'Bain was long-standing and 

 intimate, has undertaken to do so at our next ordinary 

 meeting. 



We have likewise to deplore the loss of our late treasurer, 

 Mr E. W. Dallas, a zealous fellow-member, a regular attender 

 of our meetings, and one who, in the office whose duties he 

 latterly undertook, most efficiently co-operated with the secre- 

 tary in reviving the prosperity of the Society. IVIr Dallas, 

 brother of the eminent assistant-secretary of the Geological 

 Society of London, was a man of wide sympathies and 

 extensive culture, and his amiable disposition, the interest 



