JUgal §oxi£tg of Victoria 



AKNTVEKSAEY ADDEESS 



Mr. R. L. J. Ellery, F.R.S., F.R.A.S., Government 

 Astronomer. 



(Delivered to the Members of the Royal Society of Victoria, at their 

 Annual Conversazione, held October 3rd, 1884.) 



Gentlemen of the Royal Society, 



I think you must experience a sense of monotony as year 

 after year I inflict you with the inevitable presidential 

 address, which, do what one can to impart a little freshness 

 into it, must, coming always from the same pen, necessarily 

 lack that novelty of stuff and style which alone would make 

 such deliverances tolerable. If it be so, as I fear it is, you 

 have yourselves to blame for electing me your President so 

 continually. While keenly appreciating the great honour 

 you have done me in electing me your President for eighteen 

 consecutive years, I have come to the conclusion it will be 

 better for the Society and for me that I should cease to 

 occupy its chair after the end of the present session. New 

 blood, new ideas, new ways of looking at and dealing with 

 things, I am sure, are most desirable in the interests of the 

 Society, and at our next annual gathering of this kind I 

 intend being a listener to a brilliant address from my 

 successor. 



