PREFACE, 



The Seventh Volume of the "Transactions of the Royal 

 Society of Victoria/' now issued to the Members, brings the 

 Proceedings of the Society to the close of the first six 

 months of 1866. 



It also embraces the Address of the President for this 

 year, delivered on the 2nd July. 



It will be seen that many of the papers are of con- 

 siderable importance, both in their value as contributions 

 to the literature of science, and also from their relation 

 to a young colony, of which so much has yet to be learned. 



The Council for the present year earnestly desire to 

 continue the publication of the Transactions, by the issue 

 of quarterly parts ; but such a proceeding, involving as it 

 does a large expenditure of money, together with a con- 

 siderable amount of labour, can only be accomplished by 

 the co-operation of the body of members. If those 

 entrusted with the government of the Royal Society 

 obtain that assistance, there is no reason to fear that the 

 Papers will ever fall into the arrear from which they are 

 now brought by the publication of the present volume. 



Royal Society of Victoeia, 



Melbourne, dOth Sei^temher, 1866. 



