142 



the records of the Society will bear enduring testi- 

 mony for those who were not personally cognisant of 

 his work. As far back as ]843 he contributed to the 

 original Society an exhaustive account of the structure, 

 habits, and venomous properties of Tasmanian snakes. 

 This was followed in 1864 by a paper " On the Poison 

 of Venomous Snakes," which, after describing in detail 

 some of his experimental researches, gives full direc- 

 tions for the necessary remedial treatment in cases of 

 snake-bite, and is still a standard authority on the 

 subject. 



It is not by the number of papers appearing in 

 the journals that the value of the services of such a 

 man is to be gauged. A glance through the records 

 of the Royal Society will show that he was ever on 

 the look out for opportunities of promoting its work 

 in the cause of Science, and in the public interest. 

 He took an active part in the various projects for 

 acclimatising the Salmonidse in Tasmania, and defrayed 

 the whole cost of the last importation of salmon ova 

 from the mother-country, which was carried out with 

 complete success, a cordial vote of thanks being accorded 

 to him on the occasion by both Houses of Parliament. 

 This, however, was only one of many instances of his 

 liberal support of public enterprises which he deemed 

 deserving of encouragement, and as to those with which 

 he was more directly connected, the Library of the Royal 

 Society, as well as the Tasmanian Museum and Art 

 Gallery, will for all time bear witness to his generous 

 benefactions to those institutions. He was not a politician 

 in the ordinary sense of the term, but was a valued 

 Member of the Legislative Council for many j^ears, and 

 held office without portfolio in various Ministries up 

 to 1886, when, as Premier and Chief Secretary he 

 took an active part in the re-organisation of the 

 Department of Education and other business of great 

 public importance. He was created K.C.M.G. in 1894. 



