256 THE PBESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



Mr. Mault read a paper on certain tide observations taken 

 at Hobart during February and March, 1889, which showed 

 some very curious irregularities, and the thanks of our 

 Society are certainly due to him for the trouble he has 

 taken in getting copies for us of the old charts of Tasmania. 



Mr. McClymont read a most curious paper, illustrated by 

 charts, of the misconceptions existing in early times re- 

 specting the terra Australis, and gave some very ingenious 

 explanations of how they had arisen. 



Then last, but by no means least, we have had the three 

 excellent papers by Mr. J. B. Walker on the early settlement 

 of Tasmania. The first, following up his paper of last session 

 on the early visits of the French to this island, deals with the 

 English at the Derwent and the Risdon settlement. The 

 second deals with the settlement under Collins in 1803-4, 

 and the third, which we have heard to-night, with the first 

 settlement at Hobart. It is impossible to attach too great 

 importance to an authoritative compilation from ofl&cial 

 documents of the early history of the land in which we live, 

 and it is meet and fitting that such a compilation should 

 take its place on the records of our Society. It certainly 

 is well worthy of consideration whether a popular handbook 

 of the early history of Tasmania might not be compiled from 

 these interesting papers of Mr, Walker's. 



It is too early yet to speak of the results which we hope 

 will follow from the generous gift of Dr. Agnew to the colony 

 of the large quantity of salmon ova which Sir Thomas Brady 

 brought out, and which are being distributed under the 

 auspices of a committee of this Society, but it may be interest- 

 ing to refer to the fact which I have already brought under 

 the notice of this Society, that marked variations exist in the 

 characteristics of the young salmon even before their libera- 

 tion from the Salmon Ponds, and to the fact that specimens 

 showing these variations have been obtained, which will be 

 sent to experts in the Old Country. We had hoped to have 

 welcomed Dr. Agnew amongst us this evening, and we all' 

 regret his absence, for no individual member has done more to 

 secure the advancement of this Society than Dr. Agnew. 



I think, gentlemen, we may regard with satisfaction the 

 work of this session. Our best thanks are due to those 

 gentlemen who have done work for us, and have taken part 

 in our discussions, but still I should like to see more work 

 done, and more of our Fellows doing it. Since last session a 

 great step in .a,dvance has been taken by the colony in founding 

 a school for technical instniction, and I trust and hope that the 

 facilities afforded to the rising generation of Tasmanians for 

 the study of science will help in time to come to raj,«<' up an 



