Sngal S^0rirtg nf ©asmania. 



ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. 



APRIL, 1909. 



The General Meeting of the Society was postponed for at 

 month. 



MAY 3, 1909. 



The Monthly General Meeting of the Society was held at the 

 Museum on Monday evening. May 3, 1909. 



His Excellency the Governor, Sir Gerald Strickland, 

 K.C.M.G. (President) in the chair. 



In attendance on Plis Excellency were Sir Charles Lucas,. 

 K.C.M.G.. and Hon. A. A. Pearson, C.M.G., Dominions De- 

 partment, Colonial Office, Downing-street, London. 



YICE-PRHSIDENTS. 



The President appointed Messrs. T. Stephens, M.A., F.G.S.,. 

 and R. M. Johnston, F.L.S., I.S.O., Vice-Presidents of the 

 Society for the current year. 



ELECTION OF FELLOWS. 



Messrs. A. E. Blackman, F. E. Burbury, W. Burn, W. F. D. 

 Butler, M.Sc, S. P. Crisp, A. R. P. Cross, T. T. Flynn. B.Sc, 

 A. V. Giblin, W. S. Lake, M.Sc, E. M. Law, M. W. Simmons,, 

 C. E. Toovey, and L. K. Ward, B.A., B.E., were elected Fellows 

 of the Society. 



ADDRESS OF PRESIDENT. 



The President delivered the following address: — 



" In consequence of my absence from Tasmania on leave, a 

 period of two years is under review, but it is remarkably devoid 

 of great and startling discoveries. The scientific periodicals are, 

 however, full of evidence of steady progress in the improvement 

 of previous inventions. 



The Wright Brothers achieved mechanical flight several 

 years ago. The President of the French Republic has recently 

 expressed his regret that the invention of a Frenchman, wha 

 was really the first to make a machine f\y. had been offered to 

 the War Office, successfully tested, and officially rejected. In 

 the present year flying machines are being made by the hundred,, 

 and they have become a substantial factor in plans of military 

 ofifence and defence. But, so far, only daring and highly-trained 

 experts can navigate them, and the difticulties of starting and 



