PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. XI 



Many who took part in the work during the early period of the 

 Institute's history have passed away ; their names will not be forgotten. 

 The papers they have left behind in our Transactions will be consulted 

 and quoted by the generations to come of students working in the several 

 departments to which they relate. Others have come in from time to 

 time to take the places of those who dropped out of our ranks year by 

 year, and, while we cannot boast of any great increase in our band of 

 laborers, yet the Institute remains in an active state, annually turning 

 out a certain amount of substantial work, and exercising, we trust, a 

 healthy intellectual influence in the community. The proceedings at 

 our monthly meetings may be of limited interest to the general public, 

 but our door is always open to any who care to hear what progress is 

 being made in matters of science in which our Province is interested. 

 We are accumulating by exchange a reference library that will be of 

 great service for future work, and we are only waiting for the necessary 

 building accommodation to assist infilling up the collections of our Pro- 

 vincial Museum, so as to make them an adequate representation of the 

 natural wealth of the Province, and afford to our own people and to 

 visitors from abroad a view of our mineral, agricultural, forest, fisheries, 

 shipping and manufacturing industries commensurate in some measure 

 with their growing importance. 



In conclusion, I would like to call attention in a prominent manner 

 to the fact that we are no longer limited to the domain of natural science. 

 With an abbreviation of name made some years ago to that of the Insti- 

 tute of Science, we extended our range so as to embrace all departments. 

 Our membership has not in consequence increased in the proportion that 

 might have been expected. Almost every kind of industrial work now- 

 adays, except mere manual labor, requires, on the part of the worker, 

 some acquaintance with scientific facts and principles, and, in certain 

 cases, regular scientific training. With our advanced civilization and 

 industrial development, surely there must be more persons in this Pro- 

 vince devoting some portion of their time to scientific work than those 

 whose names are inscribed on the membership roll of the Institute of 

 Science. To all such we extend a hearty invitation to come and join us ! 



On motion of DR. SOMERS, a vote of thanks was presented to the 

 President for his services during the past session. 



The TREASURER'S report was read, and having been audited and 

 found correct, was received and adopted. 



