Report of Meetings of the Society, 



Meeting held Jan. ti, iSg^. — Mr, R. G, Duncan, 

 F.R., President, in the chair. 



Members present 20. 



Eleftions. — Members : Messrs. Thos. Geo. Sweet, 

 James Fred. Green, (Rev.) E. G. H. Caswell, Geo. 

 W. Lane and F. Griffin. 



Associates : Messrs. Jas. Fettes and Geo. 

 M. Steele. 



The President said it was customary for the new 

 head of the Society to deliver what was called an in- 

 augural address at the first meeting of the year. He felt 

 like the Scottish Bailie that he was not good at making 

 set speeches, but he did not mind making a few cursory 

 remarks. The worthy and learned gentleman who had 

 just vacated the chair said in both his inaugural and 

 valedi6lory addresses that he regretted that the Society 

 had departed from the stri6l lines on which it had first 

 started, and become less purely agricultural and com- 

 mercial. There was no doubt that it had somewhat 

 enlarged its borders, and while still able to discuss agri- 

 cultural and commercial questions, it might be said to 

 have become a literary and scientific institution with a 

 valuable library, a well-arranged and interesting museum, 

 an excellent reading room and a well-condu6led journal. 

 It seemed to him that its present position was the result 

 of circumstances, and he feared that if any determined 

 effort had been made to keep it otherwise, it would have 

 been defun6t long ago. It was therefore rather a matter 

 for congratulation, that while the usefulness of the 



