PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 393 



Museum, has a work ready for the press on " Commercial Pro- 

 ducts," which will furnish much valuable information on various 

 animals and plants and objects of Natural History utilized in 

 commerce, and the range of which is every day extending. 

 This will form a very useful book of reference for the scientific 

 description, statistics, and uses of animal and vegetable sub- 

 stances. 



Baron Sir P. Mueller, K.C.M.G., the eminent Australian 

 Government Botanist, of Melbourne, has just brought out, under 

 the auspices of the Yictorian Government, a seventh revised 

 edition of his work, "Select Extra Tropical Plants, with in- 

 dications of their native countries and some of their uses." 

 This is a work which has already found a wide circulation, by 

 separate editions issued by the New South Wales Government, 

 the Indian Government, a North American issue, and a German 

 translation. It is one of the most useful and complete books 

 of reference I know of, from its alphabetical classification, its 

 arrangement of genera into special uses of plants, and its index 

 of popular names. Punning to 512 pages, it is published at 

 only 4s. in Melbourne, and can doubtless be had through London 

 booksellers. 



Like many other north-countrymen I have been delighted by 

 a perusal of a work by one of our members. " Bird Life of the 

 Border," by Mr. Abel Chapman, is a book of which we may 

 reasonably be proud. No one but a naturalist could have made 

 such observations, no one but an accomplished author could have 

 written so charming a narrative, and no one but an artist could 

 have so faithfully and so lovingly depicted the creatures whose 

 lives, haunts, and habits he describes. 



I have also been pleased to find an excellent list of the Plora 

 of the North-East Coast in Dr. Ellis' "Handbook of North 

 Country Health Pesorts," and I have verified the correctness of 

 the list in so far as regards Dunstanborough and Marsden. 



The Eield Meetings of 1888 were well attended, and, with 

 the exception of that to Whittingham, I had the pleasure of 

 being present at them all, and enjoyed the renewal of some 



