XVlil PROCEEDINGS, AUGUST. 
AUGUST, 1893. 
There was a large attendance of the Fellows of the Royal Society on 
August 15th, and many ladies were also present, to welcome the new 
President, His Excellency Viscount Gormanston, K.O.M.G., on the 
occasion of his taking the chair for the first time at one of the monthly 
evening meetings. The President, who was accompanied by his Private 
Secretary (Mr. J. F. Alexander Rawlinson), was received by the Council, 
and on taking his seat, 
Mr. James BARNARD said :—‘‘ Your Excellency,—I have the pleasing 
duty as senior Vice-President, on behalf of the Council and Fellows 
of the Royal Society of Tasmania, to present an address of con- 
gratulation te Your Excellency upon receiving the appointment of 
Governor of Tasmania as Her majesty’s representative. And I have 
also to tender a hearty welcome to Your Excellency upon your presence 
here this evening, and upon your assuming the chair of the Royal 
Society as its official president. From your Excellency’s wide experience, 
gathered in various spheres of official life in the service of the Crown, 
the hope is entertained that, after the example of many of your dis- 
tinguished predecessors, your Excellency may be inclined to commu- 
nicate to the Society, at its monthly evening meetings, the fruits of 
your observation and remarks in other and aifferent climes as to be 
eventually embodied in the printed transactions of the Royal Seciety.” 
(Applause. ) 
The Secretary (Mr. A. Morton) read the address :— 
To His Excellency the Right Honourable VISCOUNT GORMANSTON, Knight 
Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint 
George, Governor and Commander-in-Chief in and over the colony of Tas- 
mania and its dependencies. May it please Your Excellency,—We, the 
Council and Fellows of the Royal Society of Tasmania, desire to offer our 
loyal congratulations to Your Excellency on assuming the Government of 
Tasmania as representative of Her Most Gracious Majesty. In 1844 Her 
Majesty signified her consent to become patron of the Society ; and by one 
of its fundamental rules and constitution, the Governor for the time being 
is the President. We believe that it will interest Your Excellency to learn 
that the Royal Society of Tasmania, founded by eminent pioneers of scientific 
research, was the first to be enrolled under royal patronage; thatit has 
passed its jubilee; and that its printed transactions comprise numerous 
volumes of valuable scientific information. Many of Your Excellency’s pre- 
decessors have taken a warm personal interest in this Society, as shown by 
their presence at its sessional meetings, and by their contributing to its 
transactions, and we cherish the hope that it will prove agreeable to Your 
Excellency to take an active interest in the proceedings of the Society. We 
trust that health and happiness to yourself, Lady Gormanston, and family 
will attend the whole period of your administration of the government of 
this colony. Weremain Your Excellency’s very obedient servants—(Signed) 
‘James Barnard, Vice-president ; W. lL. Dobson, Vice-president ; J. W. 
Agnew, Vice-president ; T. Stephens, Vice-president. A. G. Webster, C. 
T. Belstead, R. M. Johnston, Russell Young, C. H. Grant, Nicholas J. 
Brown, J. B. Walker, W. V. Legge, members of the Council. Alexander 
Morton, Secretary. Hobart, August 15, 1893. 
The PRESIDENT said: Mr, Barnard, ladies, and gentlemen—I thank 
you most sincerely for the very cordial welcome you have given me 
here as representative of Her Majesty and as Governor of this 
colony. I have heard, previous to arriving in this colony, a great 
deal of the transactions of the Royal Society of Tasmania, and of the 
great good that has been conferred on the colony by it from my prede- 
cessor and friend, Sir Robert Hamilton—(applause)—your late President, 
I feel highly honoured by being permitted to occupy the presidential 
chair of the Royal Society of Tasmania which, as your Vice-president 
has just told me, devolves on the Governor of this colony, And I can 
assure you that during my tenure of that office I will do all in my power 
to promote the interests of the Royal Society, feeling sure that by so 
