4 Anniversary Address. 



We arc in fact all of us too prone to despise sucli pursuits 

 as lead to no ^^sible or immediate good to society ; but, as 

 has been well remarked, ^'^no serious study is without serious 

 value to tlie human race/^ and a very little reflection will 

 serve to show that the observation of facts cannot possibly 

 be too minute or too accurate when we are engaged in inves- 

 tigating the mysterious and all but inscrutable laws of 

 Nature. 



Whilst I feci justified, however, in asserting that fair 

 progress has been made towards realising one of the chief 

 objects for which the Society has been instituted — namelj^, 

 to elicit original communications on scientific subjects — 

 I am, at the same time, free to confess that, looking to 

 the many eminent names enrolled among its members, more, 

 far more, of interest and importance might have been ex- 

 pected to be contained in the three volumes of its Transac- 

 tions which have as yet seen the light. 



My idea is, that the Society^s Transactions ought to 

 present a faithful and enduring record of the position and 

 progress of scientific research in this country, and should set 

 forth the most advanced views that its savans entertain on 

 the great scientific questions of the day, more especially 

 those affecting the development of our material resources. 

 From some of these gentlemen, however, mere passing 

 and fugitive contributions have been obtained ; from others 

 none at all ; and so far from the Transactions reflecting 

 the actual state of science in Victoria — of which there is, 

 in my opinion, every reason to be proud — a stranger desirous 

 of judging for himself on this point, would be obliged to 

 gather scattered intimations of the labors of our scientific 

 men from the reports of scientific bodies in Europe, 

 from returns laid before the Legislature, or from even less 

 accessible sources of information. 



