619 



These dociiMiients comprise : — 



A. — The first minute book of the Adelaide Philosophical 

 Society (1853). 



B. — Papers read and deposited with the Society from 



1853. 

 C. — Correspondence relating to a proposed Exploring 



Expedition from Fowler's Bay into the Interior 



(1855). 



D. — Miscellaneous pa^Ders and newspaper cuttings. 



E. — Papers relating to its incorporation with the 



S.A. Institute (1856-71). 

 F. — Papers relating to the proposed division of the 



Society into Sections (1859). 



G. — Correspondence between the Adelaide Philosophical 

 Society and the S.A. Institute on the one hand; 

 and between the Royal Society and Public Library 

 Board on the other. 



H. — Correspondence relating to the adoption of the 

 title -'Royal Society of South Australia" (1879-81). 



The minute books from September, 1853, to the end of 

 1872, do not appear to have been preserved, but reports of 

 the monthly meetings appear with a fair degree of regularity 

 in the daily papers of that period. 



The first Annual Report was read on January 30, 1854. 

 It consists of four pages (parliamentary size) and contains the 

 personnel of the Council and list of members, together with a 

 copy of Laws of the Society and a digest of its Transactions 

 and Proceedings. Similar reports continued to appear until 

 1858, when the month for the Annual Meeting was changed 

 to July. No further printed reports were issued for some 

 years after this, although they were evidently read and fully 

 published in the newspapers. 



Annual meetings were again changed to August for 1859 

 and 1860, and to October from 1861-3. Thereafter the year 

 has apparently always closed at the end of September. 



Printed reports (in quarto form) re-appeared in 1865, but 

 again ceased in 1872. 



A brief manuscript report for 1876-7 is to be found among 

 the miscellaneous papers. From this date onwards they have 

 been issued annually in their present form. 



It should also be mentioned, that brief abstracts of the 

 Annual Reports of the Society, from 1863-84, are to be found 

 as appendices to the Annual Reports of the S.A. Institute. 



