394 Proceedings. 



Resolved — That tlie thanks of the society be presented to the Secretary, 

 Thomas Kirk, Esq., F.L.S., for the zealous manner in which his duties have 

 been performed, and that a separate record of this resolution be made on the 

 minutes of this meeting;. 



Second Meeting, ^th June, 1873. 

 His Honour T. B. Gillies, President, in the chair. 

 New members. — J. A. Pond, J. Anderson, L. D. Nathan, VV. Goodfellow, 

 F. J. Moss. 



The list of donations to the Libraiy and Musevim was read by the 

 Secretary. 



The President delivered the following anniversary 



ADDRESS. 



In opening the sixth session of this Institute I cannot refrain from 

 congratulating you on the progress and prospei'ity of our institution. When, 

 six years ago, our first President (Mr. Whitaker) addressed you at the opening 

 of the institution, he— notwitlistanding the encouragement to be derived from 

 the small beginnings of the Poyal Society of England and the Academy of 

 Prance, which he adduced — ventured only to express " a wavering hope," 

 "rather than a belief," in our future career. And though in some respects our 

 society has not attained to the usefulness to which its founders hoped it would 

 have attained, in others it has, I think, exceeded their most sanguine antici- 

 pations. When I observe that our original 68 members in 1868 have now 

 increased to 185 ; when I see that we stand first on the list of affiliated 

 societies to the New Zealand Institute in point of numbers ; when I observe 

 that we stand second only to the central institution at Wellington in either 

 the number or quality of contributions towards recording scientific facts, 

 I think we have reason to congratulate ourselves on the success of our 

 institution. Our contributors of papers have been fewer than I could have 

 desired and, I think, fewer than they might have been, and the attendance at 

 our meetings smaller than I had hoped for; nevertheless, the contributions to 

 our Museum, and the numbers of visitors to it, prove that our eflEbrts have not 

 been altogether unavailing in maintaining and increasing an interest in the 

 pursuit and results of physical science. Many of you, I doubt not, have 

 planted shrubs and trees, the growth of which you have attentively watched, 

 and, I doubt not, have observed that, as a rule, your shoi-t-lived shrubs have 

 in growth rapidly outstripped your trees whose age can only be measured by 

 centuries ; that your long-lived trees take many years ere they put forth 

 strong, vigorous shoots, and very many more ere they produce either blossom 



