WELLINGTON PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
First Generat Meetine. Tih August, 1875. 
T. Kirk, Esq., F.L.S., in the chair. 
New Members.—The following new members were elected :—The Hon. 
Colonel Feilding, of London; John Ballance, Esq., M.H.R., Wanganui ; 
Major Charles Brown, Taranaki; Henry T. Clark, Esq., Under-Native 
Secretary ; 8. Herbert Cox, Esq., F.C.8., F.G.8., Assistant-Geologist 
Government of New Zealand. 
The Chairman then introduced the new President, Dr. Buller, C.M.G.., 
F.L.S., F.G.S8., ete. ; 
The President delivered the following 
ADDRESS. 
GentLemen,—At the opening of each annual session of the Wellington 
Philosophical Society, something in the nature of an address is expected of 
the President; and as the Society has seen fit to elect me to this honorable 
post, I must endeavour, to the best of my ability, to fulfil its duties in this 
respect. 
In selecting then a subject for the few remarks I shall offer this evening, 
T feel that I cannot do better than follow the example of my able prede- 
cessors in this chair, by reviewing briefly the scientific work done by our 
Society during the past year, as recorded in the volume of the “ Transac- 
actions of the New Zealand Institute’? just issued from the press. But, 
before doing this, I am anxious, with your indulgence, to step out of the 
beaten track and take a wider range, for the purpose of briefly noting the 
progress and development of scientific research in this Colony during a 
somewhat longer period. 
My distinguished predecessor, the Hon. Mr. Mantell, has on a former 
occasion recalled the circumstances under which, in 1851, the New Zealand 
Society (the parent, as he termed it, of the New Zealand Institute) was 
founded by His Excellency Sir George Grey. That Society flourished for 
a time, and promised to take firm root among the colonists; but imme- 
diately on the departure of its chief patron and promoter it languished and 
ultimately became defunct through lack of funds. Years passed on, and a 
new Society was formed on the ruins of the old one, and of this I had the 
honor to be chosen Secretary. The original name of ‘‘ The New Zealand 
Society ’’ was at first retained, but this afterwards, at the instance I believe 
of Bishop Abraham, changed to that under which we have assembled this 
