xii President's Address 



you have done me the honour of twice re-electing me your 

 President ; and now, perhaps, is a fitting occasion to assure 

 you how highly I appreciate the confidence you thus place 

 in me. I have sometimes felt I should like to be relieved 

 of the responsibility and anxiety of the position, and make 

 room for a better man ; but as each year has come around I 

 have found myself nominated and re-elected without pro- 

 testing against the honours you heap upon my head. I 

 need scarcely tell you, gentlemen, that I take the greatest 

 interest in the welfare of this Society, and I shall always be 

 ready, as long as I have good health, to do my best for its 

 good and advancement, whatever position I may hold in its 

 ranks. 



You will be glad to learn that the financial position of 

 our Society is now better that it has been for some years. 

 Our revenue proper is not much larger than heretofore, but 

 the resumption of the small annual grant from the Govern- 

 ment has enabled your Council to carry on the printing and 

 other work of the Society in a satisfactory manner without 

 getting into debt. We have now on our rolls 122 members, 

 and I am glad to see among our junior members gentlemen 

 who have been educated in the colony, who, from their 

 acquirements and scientific training, I have reason to hope 

 will become most useful acquisitions to the Society. 



It has been usual for the President to refer in his address 

 to the papers and other matters which have occupied our 

 meetings held since the preceding conversazione ; but, as 

 the Transactions are now published and issued soon after 

 each meeting, I think it will be unnecessary to refer to them 

 on this occasion ; sufiice it to say that there have been six 

 meetings held since our annual gathering last year, at which 

 ten papers and other communications were contributed, 

 which, in most cases, led to interesting and instructive 

 discussions. While on this subject I may mention that I 



