157 



PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



By Professor E, H. Rennie, M.A., D.Sc. 



[Read October 1, 1901.] 



At the close of another year we, as Fellows of the Royal 

 Society of South Australia, have cause both for regret and satis- 

 faction. We must all feel a sense of loss this evening, meeting 

 as we do without one distinguished member who for many years 

 worked enthusiastically in the interests of this Society. Professor 

 Tate was an almost constant attendant at our meetings till illness 

 prevented him, and he contributed very largely to their success 

 by the original and interesting matters he brought forward. For 

 a long time he edited carefully our " Proceedings," which contain 

 a long record of his own patient and laborious work in that 

 department of palaeontology with which he was specially familiar, 

 work which has been recognised far beyond the limits of this 

 State as of great and permanent value to the scientific world. 

 The Society and the State is much the poorer by his removal 

 from amongst us, and for a long time to come the blank caused 

 by his death will be felt by us at our meetings here. 



On the other hand, we have cause for satisfaction, because 

 work of more than usual importance has been accomplished 

 during the year. I refer, of course, more particularly to the 

 discoveries recently} made by Mr. Howchin, and confirmed in all 

 respects by Professor David and Mr. Pittman, The details we 

 hope to hear from Mr. Howchin himself at a later date, but in 

 the meantime we congratulate him heartily upon a discovery 

 which is of so much interest and importance. Apart from this 

 special discovery, our " Proceedings " contain the records of solid 

 work done in various departments of science, a record of which 

 we have no reason to be ashamed. 



In casting about for a subject on which to address you, it 

 occurred to me that, at what I might venture to call a critical 

 period in the agricultural history of this State, it would be of 

 some interest to give some account of scientific development in 

 connection with agriculture generally, and with special reference 

 to the requirements of this State, and, with that as a text, to 

 refer to other subjects in which there is a crying need for accurate 

 scientific investigation, such investigation being necessary, not 

 merely to elucidate scientific theories, but to improve our 

 material condition. 



