xxxii President's Address 



Transactions is in a great measure due. I feel it 

 unnecessary to tax your patience now by observations 

 vindicating the claims of science to the fostering care of the 

 community ; but it is, perhaps, not inopportune to remark, 

 in reference to this particular subsidy, that as long as the 

 collecting and recording what is at the same time new in 

 science, and particular to the colony, is disinterestedly 

 pursued, the Society may with confidence accept, nay it is 

 its duty to seek this strengthening Government aid. 



Since our last conversazione seven general meetings have 

 been held, at which the following papers were read and 

 discussed : — 



On the 12th of October Mr. F. J. Pirani read a paper "On 

 some Processes of Scientific Reasoning," and at the same 

 sitting Mr. R L. J. Ellery described the photographic processes 

 to be adopted in observing the forthcoming Transit of Yenus. 



On the 16th of November, Mr. Rawlinson read a paper 

 " On the Discovery of some Keys under 15 feet of Diluvium 

 in 1845 or 1846." 



On the 21st of December, Mr. Rusden read a paper on. 

 " The Week," which was followed by Mr. R. L. J. Ellery's 

 paper on " Some of the Physical Appearances observed 

 during the then recent Transit of Venus." 



On the 12th of April of the present year, a paper written 

 and forwarded by Mr. R. Etheridge, Jun., of the Geological 

 Survey of Scotland was read. It is entitled " On Some 

 Upper Paleozoic Polyzoa from Queensland." At the same 

 meeting there was also read a short paper by Mr. Rawlinson, 

 " On the Importance of a more Close and Systematic 

 Observation of the Atmospheric and Oceanic Phenomena of 

 our Coasts." 



On May the 17th, Mr. Foord read a notice of some of the 

 results of the Challenger expedition, and this was followed 

 by a paper read b} r Mr. Cooke on " The Sciopticon," 



