PROCEEDINGS, NOVEMBER. 



XXXV 



they could be informed to what extent these diseases prevail in our 

 midst. He considered that a similar institution should be founded in 

 connection with the Health Department of this colony, as _ modern 

 science now was not content with mere superficial examination, _ but 

 proceeded with more strict and reliable methods to detect the micro- 

 organisms which are undoubtedly the active agents in the production 

 of disease. The paper was illustrated by microscopical specimens of 

 these diseases prepared by Mr. Archibald Park, M.R.C.V.S. 



COAL SPECIMENS. 

 Mr. Curzon Allport showed a number of specimens of coal from the 

 mines at New South Wales, and New Zealand. 



PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



The President then delivered the following address :— 

 Fellows of the Royal Society.— During the session of 1890, which 

 this evening comes to a close, the number of our Fellows has been 

 increased by sixteen, and of our Corresponding Fellows by two. The 

 additions to our library have been very satisfactory, and include the three 

 handsome volumes containing the record of the Challenger Expedition, 

 for the gift of which we are indebted to our honorary secretary, Dr. 

 Agnew, I am personally gratified to learn that the Encyclopaedia 

 Britannica, which I presented to the Royal Society in the beginning 

 of the year, is being largely referred to by members, who find it of 

 much assistance to them in some of their studies and investigations. 

 The annual proceedings of kindred societies throughout the world, which 

 form perhaps the most important part of our Library, are constantly 

 increasing, and here I would point out that, having regard to the 

 time which often elapses before such volumes are printed and distributed, 

 we may regard with some satisfaction the fact that at our opening 

 meeting this session we had on the table the printed proceedings of our 

 Society for 1889. It is true that this is the first time that this has 

 been done, but I think we may feel pretty sure that our energetic 

 secretary, Mr. Morton, having accomplished this once is not likely to 

 ■observe less promptness in the publication of oar annual proceedings in 

 future. Our monthly meetings have been well attended, and 22 papers 

 have been read before us. In Zoology we have had five papers. The first 

 by Mr. R. M. Johnston, entitled " Further Observations upon the 

 Fishes and Fishing Industries of Tasmania, together with a revised list 

 of indigenous species." Eight years have elapsed since Mr. Johnston 

 contributed a similar paper to this Society, and during that time, 

 from additions made mainly by Mr. Saville-Kent, Mr. Morton, and 

 Mr. Johnston himself, the 188 species then known have increased to 

 214. The next, also by Mr. Johnston, on " Tasmanian Mollusea," 

 in which he points out how much there is to be done in connection 

 with this subject to secure a satisfactory classification of species. 

 Then we have had a paper by Mr. A. T. Drquhart, of New Zealand, on 

 some Tasmanian spiders sent to him by Mr, Morton for examination, in 

 which he pronounces the collection to contain not only several new 

 species but also two new genera. Mr. Morton contributed an interesting 

 Paper on a recent dredging trip in the River Derwent. He was fortunate 

 in being accompanied on this trip by Mr. A. Durrand.a Fellow of 

 the Royal Microscopical Society, who has made a collection of forami- 

 nifera from many parts of the Southern Seas, and who, it will be 

 remembered, at one of our meetings exhibited some interesting 

 microscopical preparations of these, and of other minute marine 

 ■organisms. Owing to the primitive description of dredge used on this 

 trip, the results from a scientific point of view were not so great as 

 they might have been, but they were quite enough to justify Mr. 



