1884.] Jreasurers Address. 445 



those so zealously and bravely initiated by the distinguished German 

 inquirer Koch. Although the Society has had no very direct 

 influence in the matter, the Fellows will, I venture to think, regard 

 it as a subject for congratulation that the wish then expressed from 

 this chair has been fulfilled, and that the distinguished expert in such 

 questions our Fellow, Dr. Klein is at present engaged in India in 

 the investigation of cholera at the instance of the Indian Govern- 

 ment. It is sad to think how much nearer our own shores such 

 investigations might have been conducted ; may it be long ere they 

 can be instituted on this side of the Channel. 



These remarks have already extended to such a length that I can 

 now only briefly refer to a few of the events of scientific interest 

 which have during the past year occupied the attention of the Society 

 or of a large number of its Fellows. In the month of April last the 

 University of Edinburgh celebrated its tercentenary with great pomp 

 and no less hospitality, upwards of 120 delegates from various 

 universities and other learned bodies being invited as guests. On 

 this occasion Lord Bayleigh kindly consented to be our representative, 

 and was among those on whom the University conferred the honorary 

 degree of LL.D. The same distinguished Fellow occupied the Presi- 

 dential chair at the meeting of the British Association for the 

 Advancement of Science at Montreal, on which occasion many of our 

 body took the opportunity of crossing the Atlantic. Owing to the 

 munificent liberality and ungrudging hospitality of our brethren in 

 the Dominion of Canada, the somewhat bold experiment of holding a 

 meeting of the Association beyond the limits of the British Isles has 

 proved a great success, though, perhaps, it is an experiment which 

 would require exceptional conditions to be successfully repeated. 



The Society was represented by delegates at the meeting of the 

 American Association for the Advancement of Science at Philadelphia 

 in September last. The Electrical Exhibition at the same place 

 resulted in the formation of a Memorial Library in connexion with 

 the Franklin Institute, to which separate copies of the Papers 

 relating to Electricity that have appeared in the " Philosophical 

 Transactions " have been granted by the Council. An Electrical 

 Congress at Paris, and an Ornithological one at Vienna have also 

 been among the events of the year. 



Subscribers to the Darwin Memorial Fund will be j (leased to hear 

 that a fine block of marble has been secured for the statue to be erected 

 in the Natural History Museum at South Kensington, and I am glad 

 to learn from Mr. Boehm that his work will probably be completed 

 by the end of this year. When the total cost of the statue has been 

 ascertained, it will be necessary to hold a meeting of the Committee 

 in charge of the Memorial Fund to determine the manner in which 

 the balance is to be applied. 



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