TRANSACTIONS 



flWIosoiliinil Jnstitote of fictoifm. 



Anniversary Address of the President, Ferdinand Mueller, 

 Esq., Ph.D., M.D., F.R.G. and L.S., $$„ #c. 



[Delivered to the Members of the Institute, 28th March, 1859.] 



Yotjr. Excellency and Gentlemen, 



When, nearly five years since, by the efforts of a few, united 

 by the bond of science, both the Philosophical Society and 

 the Victorian Institute were formed, and when even, subse- 

 quently, strength was gained by them in their present com- 

 bination, we could not well expect, considering the difficulties 

 which then beset our path, to see speedily our labors crowned 

 with success. Much less could I, for myself, presume that 

 you would ever deem me worthy of being raised to the high 

 position assigned to me on this occasion, and to fill an office 

 on which I had certainly in no way any claim. Having been 

 desirous, ever since this Society was established, to be regarded 

 only as one of its humbler working members, it was with 

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