xiv President's Address 



is taken, until the nuisance and mischief become intolerable, 

 or until wise statesmen, as in some parts of America, make 

 stringent laws to prevent people fouling our greatest 

 commonwealth, pure air, with waste products, which science 

 shows can either be profitably utilised where it is produced, 

 or, at all events, rendered innocuous by simple means. 



The Schools of Mines at Ballarat and Sandhurst will, if 

 conducted with the vigour which has been displayed of late 

 years, rapidly become most important centres of teaching in 

 the arts and in applied and natural sciences. The Ballarat 

 school has made a considerable step in advance by a judicious 

 increase in the teaching staff, and by the adoption of a 

 scheme by which a limited number of pupils may obtain a 

 complete technical training in practical chemistry, mining, 

 metallurgy, telegraphy, electric engineering, &c, extending 

 over a period of three years. For the efficient accomplish- 

 ment of this undertaking the committee has added to the 

 staff, and largely to the scientific appliances of the institu- 

 tion. Our members will, I am sure, feel interested in the 

 result of this commendable step on the part of the Council. 

 The School of Mines at Sandhurst is also rapidly increasing 

 its usefulness, and a considerable number of students pass 

 out each year with a most complete and valuable training in 

 chemistr}^, mineralogy, metallurgy, &c. 



The advancement which has marked the past year's 

 history of oar own Society is shared also by the several 

 kindred societies in Melbourne, the Medical Society, the 

 British Medical Association, the Pharmaceutical Society, the 

 Microscopical Society, and, to even a greater extent, the Field 

 Naturalists' Club. 



To ascertain what Victoria has done in the year towards 

 the advance of natural science, let me first refer to the work 

 of our eminent botanist and fellow-member, Baron Mueller, 

 from whose research and pen has come to us a very large 

 proportion of what is known of Australian botany. A note- 

 worthy fact in connection with his department is the acqui- 

 sition by purchase of the Sonderian Collection by our 



