PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 17 



has also been called to some bronze-plated iron articles of 

 pre-Roman times from the Pilgrims' Way near Canterbury, 

 now in the Manchester Museum. The bronze covering 

 or plating of iron at this early period is of great interest. 

 Rock paintings found in Bushman caves in S. Africa are 

 believed to represent historical incidents or possibly occur- 

 rences in hunting. The excavation of some of the wonderful 

 ancient buildings in Mexico has been resumed and is expected 

 to yield interesting results. A description of the human 

 remains found at Boskop in the Transvaal in 1913 is published 

 in the Transactions of the S. African Royal Society. The 

 skull appears to represent an early phase in the development 

 of a race of Neanderthal men. The habit of putting their 

 kings to death, either at the end of a fixed term or on the failure 

 of the king's health and strength, or on the happening of some 

 great public calamity, has been practised by various races, 

 and is now shewn to have been a custom of the Khazars, 

 who dwelt on the Western shores of the Caspian and gave it 

 their name. They reached a high degree of culture in spite 

 of this barbarous practice. 



GENERAL. 



The war is naturally now the chief thought in the mind of 

 everyone, and all our actions and new laws are directly or 

 indirectly influenced by it. It afforded a justification for 

 the introduction of Summer Time to those who opposed it, 

 and this year the period has been extended by five weeks, 

 to the saving of gas and other sources of light which, like so 

 many of our necessities, have become scarce and dear. Many 

 other economies have had to be introduced in regard to food 

 and other things, and all waste products utilized as far as 

 possible. For instance, from the waste fats from army 

 camps, sufficient soap is now made for all Government re- 

 quirements, as well as a large amount of glycerine for mun- 

 itions and some other products. Our meat rations are being 



