AuaustT 4, 1899. ] 
students, who may develop into men of 
science. 
Then there is the bequest made by Sir 
Thos. Elder to the Adelaide University, of 
which a large portion goes to support the 
mining and other scientific schools. 
Also the scientific expedition to Central 
Australia, which was despatched by Mr. 
Horn from Adelaide at great expense. We 
shall have the pleasure of hearing of some 
of the results of this act of public-spirited 
generosity from Professor Spencer, who is 
kindly giving our members a lecture upon 
Central Australia. 
Next there is the expedition from the 
Royal Society of London, under Professor 
Sollas, to investigate the structure of a coral 
reef by boring, to which this colony con- 
tributed liberally in men, money and ma- 
terial. 
During the past year this has been 
supplemented by another expedition from 
Sydney under the charge of Professor 
David, largely at the cost of residents in 
this colony and the new South Wales Gov- 
ernment. The Royal Society of London 
has again provided a large portion of the 
requisite funds. 
I do not propose to go into the matter, as 
I have no doubt a full report will, in due 
course, be issued by Professor David ; mean- 
while, I think we should express our 
pleasure at the safe return of the expedition 
and our gratification at the success which 
has so far been achieved, especially as the 
operations had to be carried out under con- 
siderable difficulties. 
PROVINCIAL SCIENTIFIC SOCIETIES AND IN- 
STITUTIONS. 
Outside the capital of New South Wales 
scientific societies and institutions are prac- 
tically non-existent, and I think this is also 
the case with respect to the other colonies 
of Australasia, except New Zealand. 
New Zealand sets Australia a good ex- 
SCIENCE. 
145 
ample, for although its population is only 
about one-half that of New South Wales, 
it has comparatively large and active 
scientific societies in Auckland, Christ- 
church, Dunedin, Napier, Nelson, Welling- 
ton and Westland. All of these are 
separate and independent societies, but col- 
lectively they form the New Zealand Insti- 
tute, centered in Wellington. Papers read 
before the local societies, if of sufficient 
merit and importance, are published in the 
Transactions of the New Zealand Institute ; 
this is an exceptionally wise plan, for the 
smaller societies could not afford the ex- 
pense of publishing separate annual vol- 
umes ; further, the papers are distributed 
more widely and a better standard can be 
maintained. If there were similar local 
societies in Bathurst, Broken Hill, Goul- 
burn, Newcastle, and other towns in New 
South Wales, which are quite as large as 
some of the New Zealand towns, they could 
do much for the advancement of science, 
and assist the aims and objects of this As- 
sociation. 
I have spoken more particularly of this 
Colony, but of course the remarks also ap- 
ply to the larger towns of the other colonies, 
where there are no local societies. Such 
societies could probably, if they existed 
and so wished, be affiliated to the Royal 
Society of New South Wales or of Victoria, 
South Australia or Queensland, and to this 
Association. The British Association has 
a system of corresponding societies, who 
send delegates to its meetings. 
It is a very great pity that such societies 
do not exist in our provinces, not only for 
the benefit of the local residents but also 
for the cause of science generally. 
At present this Association has to depend 
very largely upon the members of the staffs 
of the universities, observatories, museums, 
the geological surveys and certain other 
government departments, and most of these, 
with the exception of those resident in the 
