NE^V SERIES 



No. LXXL — APSIL, 18 70 



THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



BY THE REV. WILLIAM HINCKS, F.L.S., P.B.S., Bdin. 



PROFESSOB OF NATUBAL HISTORY, UNIVERSITY COLLEGE, TORONTO. 



Bead icfore the Canadian Institute, Jan. lU, 1S70. 



The President requests permission to insert in the Journal only an 

 abstract of his address, considering a large portion of it as being, though 

 in his opinion suitable at the time, of local and temporary interest; 

 whilst, as he is occupying in another way a portion of the present 

 Bumber of the Journal, he would gladly abridge where it seems to him 

 that the full text would be now superfluous. 



After acknowledging the honor again conferred upon him, and offer- 

 ing remarks, arising out of the occurrences of the past year, on the 

 condition and prospects of the Institute, expressing regret at the want 

 of union of all the Literary and Scientific Societies of Ontario in one 

 compact body, but in other respects taking an encouraging view of our 

 affairs, he proceeded to speak of the general progress of Science, 

 commenting particularly on matters relating to his own studies. He 

 adverted to the efforts made in Great Britain to obtain from the 

 Government some more efficient aid for the promotion of knowledge ; 

 to the interesting and valuable results of recent deep-sea dredgings ; to 

 the observations of Darwin and others on the fertilization of plants, in 

 reference to cross-fertilization and the extent of the agency of insects; 

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