of tlie original members of tlie Association, is a native 

 of and resident in this country. 



At both of our former meetings held in Dublin, in 

 1835 and 1857 respectively, while greatly indebted to the 

 liberal hospitality of the citizens at large, we were, as we 

 now are, under especial obligations to the authorities of 

 Trinity College for placing at our disposal buildings, not 

 only unusually spacious and convenient in themselves, but 

 full of reminiscences calculated to awake the scientific 

 sympathies of all who may be gathered in them. At both 

 of those former Dublin meetings the venerable name of 

 Lloyd figured at our head ; and if long established 

 custom had not seemed to preclude it, I could on many 

 accounts have wished that we had met for a third 

 time under the same name. And although other 

 distinguished men, such as Dr. Robinson, Professors 

 Stokes, Tyndall, and Andrews, are similarly disqualified 

 by having already passed the Presidential chair, 

 while others again, such as Sir W. R. Hamilton, 

 Dr. M'Cullagh, and Professor Jukes, are permanently 

 lost to our ranks ; still we should not have had far to 

 seek, had we looked for a President in this fertile island 

 itself. But as every one connected with the place of 

 meeting partakes of the character of host towards 

 ourselves as guests, it has been thought by our oldest 

 and most experienced members that we should better 

 respond to an invitation by bringing with us a President 

 to speak as our representative than by seeking one 

 on the spot;, and we may always hope on subsequent 

 occasions that some of our present hosts may respond 

 to a similar calL 



But leaving our past history, which will form a theme 

 more appropriate to our jubilee meeting in 1881 at 



