10 



PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



Gentlemen, 



The Annual Meeting has again rolled round, and the time 

 arrived for your President to vacate the chair in favour of his 

 successor. I feel it my especial duty before doing so, to tender you 

 the expression of my warmest gratitude, for your kindness and 

 forbearance during the past twelvemonths, it having been impos- 

 sible for me to attend your meetings as regularly as I could have 

 wished, on account of ill health. The Annual Report of the 

 Council you have just heard read is, perhaps, not so glowing as 

 many would have liked, but I trust it is fairly satisfactory. Now 

 is the time for discussing the policy of the Council, or, if you 

 please, criticising its acts, or asking for explanations of its conduct. 

 For my own part I should think it a very healthy sign if those 

 members who doubtless feel some interest in the management of 

 the Society, but, who rarely or never attend during the whole of 

 the season, would put in a large appearance at our Annual 

 Meeting, and give us the benefit of their friendly criticisms and 

 counsel. They would by this means greatly help and strengthen 

 the hands of the executive ; for if year after year the Report is 

 accepted, without a word of comment or inquiry, a suspicion is 

 likely to arise that the Society is too acquiescent and, perhaps, 

 would not be roused to activity if a Report were altogether 

 wanting. 



During the year 1882 our numbers have somewhat decreased 

 by resignations, and I regret that others have not been forth- 



