for the year 1878. xiii 



communications, and exhibits of the highest interest, which 

 have made every meeting throughout the session a busy 

 one. In no period of the history of the Society have our 

 publications been in so forward a state as they are now; and 

 I congratulate members on this fact, for which our thanks 

 are due to the secretaries, who have in the face of difficulties 

 at length been able to carry out the wishes of the Council 

 in this matter. The fourteenth volume, containing our 

 transactions to the end of 1877, was issued a few weeks 

 ago, and is, I believe, already distributed. The papers of 

 the present session are all either printed or in the press ; 

 for, as I informed you in my last address, the course had 

 been adopted of printing and issuing a limited number of 

 copies of all original papers immediately after the meeting 

 at which they had been accepted. This plan has been found 

 to work well, as it places the contributions at once in the 

 hands of our members, and greatly facilitates the discussion 

 of important papers, which frequently takes place at the 

 meeting following that at which they have been read. Our 

 library has been largely increased by donations from the 

 numerous European, American, Asiatic, and Australian 

 societies with which we interchange transactions, as 

 well as from individuals and Government departments. 

 The labour of acknowledging and arranging the very 

 numerous contributions which come to us has become so 

 great that your Council are now considering the best method 

 by which this can be punctually done without the work 

 becoming too burdensome to our hon. librarian. The rolls 

 of the Society now number 128 members, 15 of whom are 

 country members, 25 life members, and three corresponding 

 members. This indicates a slight increase over our strength 

 for the past few years, although our ranks are still too thin 

 for so large and prosperous a colony as ours. Nevertheless, 

 the Society may be congratulated on its present financial 

 position. The Council have been able to clear off most of the 



