442 



NA rURE 



\jVIarch i2>^ ' S90 



Australia. Vice-President, A. W. Howitt, Secretary for 

 Mines, Melbourne. Secretary, Rev. Lorimer Fison. 



Section H (Sanitary Science and Hygiene) — President, 

 Dr. J. Ashburton Thompson, Sydney. Vice-Presidents : 

 A. P. Akehurst, President of the Central Board of Health, 

 Melbourne ; G. Gordon. Secretary, G. A. Syme. 



Section I (Literature and Fine Arts) — President, Hon. 

 J. W. Agnew, Hobart. Vice-Presidents : Prof. Tucker, 

 Melbourne University (Literature Sub-Section) ; J. 

 Hamilton Clarke (Music Sub-Section). Secretaries : Dr. 

 Louis Henry (Music Sub-Section) ; Tennyson Smith 

 (Literature Sub-Section). 



Section J (Architecture and Engineering) — President, 

 Prof. Warren, Sydney University. Vice-Presidents : A. 

 Purchas, H. C. Mais. Secretary, A. O. Sachse. 



All arrangements for the meeting were made by the 

 Local Committee, of which Mr. R. L. J. Ellery, the 

 Government Astronomer, was chairman, and Prof. W. 

 Baldwin Spencer secretary. The greater share of the 

 work devolved on Prof. Spencer, and to his indefatigable 

 energy is mainly due the undoubted success of the meet- 

 ing. The buildings and grounds of the University were 

 placed at the service of the Association, and nothing 

 could have been better than the accommodation thus 

 afforded. A lecture theatre was set apart for each of the 

 ten Sections ; and, as these theatres are situated in 

 different parts of the grounds, and some distance apart, 

 they were all connected by telephone, so that the advent 

 of each paper in any Section could be signalled in every 

 other. The large Wilson Hall was used as a reception- 

 room ; and a luncheon-hall, smoking-rooms, reading- and 

 writing-rooms, a press-room, &c., were also provided, as 

 also a special post- and telegraph-office. An official 

 journal of the proceedings was published each morning, 

 and every member was supplied with a copy of a special 

 hand-book compiled for the occasion, and containing the 

 following chapters : — 



(i) " History of Victoria," by Alexander Sutherland. 



(2) " Geology of Melbourne," by G. S. Griffiths. 



(3) " Aborigines of Victoria," by Lorimer Fison. 



(4) "Zoology, Vertebrata," by A. H. S. Lucas. 



(5) " Zoology, Invertebrata," by A. Dendy. 



(6) " Entomology," by C. French, Government Ento- 

 mologist. 



(7) " Botany," by C. A. Topp. 



(8) " Commerce and Manufactures," by W. H. Thodey. 



(9) "Climate," by R. L. J. Ellery, C.M.G., F.R.S., 

 Government Astronomer. 



Over six hundred members, representing all parts of 

 Australasia, were in actual attendance, the total member- 

 ship roll numbering more than a thousand. Some 

 hundred and fifty papers in all were set down for reading 

 in the various Sections. All these figures show a large 

 increase since the first meeting, and give gratifying evi- 

 dence of the growing interest taken in science throughout 

 the colonies ; further proofs of which are to be found in 

 the facts that the Government of Victoria voted the liberal 

 sum of ^1000 towards defraying the expenses of the 

 meeting, and that the entertainments provided by the 

 hospitality of prominent citizens were numerous and on 

 a most sumptuous scale. Many visits to places of scien- 

 tific interest were also arranged for — short afternoon 

 excursions for those who might not care for continuous 

 Sectional work, and longer excursions at the conclusion 

 of the meeting, under special leaders, to the Australian 

 Alps, the Black Spur and Marysville, Gippsland Lakes, 

 Ferntree Gully, Ballarat, and Sandhurst, all of which 

 proved highly successful. 



At the opening meeting in the Town Hall — presided 

 over by His Excellency the Governor, the Earl of Hope- 

 toun— the President, Baron Sir Ferdinand von Mueller, 

 delivered his address, after being introduced by his 

 predecessor in office, Mr. Russell, the Government 

 Astronomer of New South Wales. Baron von Mueller 



undoubtedly stands at the head of the scientific workers 

 in Australia. He has been a colonist since 1848, and 

 since 1852 has held the position of Government Botanist 

 in Victoria. His fame, which is based not only on the 

 immense amount of work he has done in his special 

 subject, the botany of Australia, but on his early achieve- 

 ments as an explorer, may be indicated in the words used 

 by Mr. Russell :- — " In 1861 he was made a Fellow of the 

 Royal Society ; he received from Her Majesty the Oueen 

 the Knight Companionship of St. Michael and St. George ; 

 was made a Commander of the Orders of St. lago of 

 Portugal, of Isabella of Spain, and of Philip of Hesse ; 

 was created hereditary Baron by the King of Wiirtem- 

 berg in 1871 ; and is honorary or corresponding member 

 of a hundred and fifty learned societies." To this enu- 

 meration may be added what is, perhaps, the most 

 honourable award of all — that of a Royal Medal by the 

 Royal Society at the end of 1888. Throughout the 

 colonies " the Baron " is known : a unique personality, 

 not always wholly understood, but always recognized as 

 a proud possession. His address, therefore, was listened 

 to with peculiar interest, and perhaps all the more so 

 that he did not confine himself to any special branch, 

 but dealt generally with the past and future of Austral- 

 asian science. 



The Presidents of Sections also, in many cases, chose 

 for their addresses subjects of particular interest in Aus- 

 tralia. Prof. Rennie spoke of the work that has been 

 done in the investigation of the chemistry of native plants 

 and minerals, and made suggestions as to how this work 

 may in future be encouraged and facilitated. Prof. 

 Thomas discussed the problems here a .vaiting the bio- 

 logist, and the local desiderata in scieii*ific education. 

 Mr. Miskin spoke principally of exploration in Australia 

 and New Guinea, and of the importance to the colonies 

 of Antarctic exploration ; but he also discussed the chief 

 geographical work now being done in other parts of the 

 world. Mr. Forrest's address dealt with the present con- 

 dition of the Australian aboriginal races. Dr. Ashburton 

 Thompson discussed the sanitary organizations of Victoria 

 and New South Wales, and the modes of obtaining and 

 interpreting health statistics. Prof. Warren spoke of the 

 education of engineers, with special reference to the local 

 conditions and requirements. Dr. Agnew reviewed the 

 literature and art of Australia. In the other Sections the 

 Presidents chose subjects that do not owe their interest 

 to local colour. Prof. Threlfall gave an account of the 

 present state of electrical knowledge ; Prof. Hutton's 

 address was on the oscillations of the earth's surface ; 

 and Mr. Johnston spoke generally of current social and 

 economic problems. A large proportion of the papers 

 read by members in the various Sections were also 

 Australian in their character. This was specially the case 

 in the Sections of Geology and Anthropology ; where, 

 perhaps, the most valuable original work was communi- 

 cated. As the Transactions will soon be published, the 

 individual papers need not now be noticed ; but reference 

 may be made to the work done in the form of reports 

 from Committees appointed at the previous meeting. 

 The most bulky and perhaps the most valuable of these 

 reports is that by a Committee which undertook, with 

 Prof. Liversidge as its secretary, to prepare a census of 

 the known minerals of the Australasian colonies. It 

 disposes of New South Wales (only such information 

 being given as was required to supplement Prof. 

 Liversidge's published work), Queensland, and New* 

 Zealand. The portions dealing with Victoria anc 

 Tasmania are in process of completion ; and, the 

 Committee having been re-appointed, it is hoped thai 

 by next year the whole census will be complete. The 

 publication will probably be delayed till then, and it wiJ| 

 if possible take the form of a separate volume. A verj 

 important recommendation was made by another Com'^ 

 mittee (Prof. Hasvvell, of Sydney, secretary), which whenl 



