1 8 Inaugural Address by the President. 



Treasurer I had often occasion to observe the disinterested and 

 completely unostentatious way in which Mr. Workman gave 

 his mind to the good of the Society. Several important steps 

 which turned out advantageously were initiated by him. 



Mr. Workman's membership was an honour to us. He was 

 one of the few business men in our city who found time for 

 original scientific research. Mr. Workman not only spared 

 time from his business for this purpose, but actually took 

 advantage of his far business connexions to assist him in the 

 successful study of that branch of natural history which he had 

 made his own. 



Memoirs published in our own proceedings and elsewhere 

 bear witness to the success attending his researches — the 

 discovery of new species and the more careful observation of 

 the habits of others. 



The volume of plates illustrating in detail so many of the 

 Arachnida, which has been so carefully prepared by his own 

 hands, assisted sometimes by his daughter, and of which a 

 beautiful copy was presented by him to the Society bearS 

 witness to the interest with which he pursued his subject. 



OflFering to the memory of our late President this tribute of 

 esteem and regret, I turn to my own duties unannounced. 



In seeking a subject on which to address you, it seemed that 

 either something pertaining historically to the Society, or 

 something with which I myself was connected or interested, or 

 some topic of new and general interest might be appropriate. 



The first mentioned has been ably treated already. I have, 

 therefore, thought it might not be amiss to take up a little of 

 the two last. 



I shall first deal as briefly as possible, with my own work on 

 a subject of much scientific interest, though not perhaps of a 

 very popular kind, " The Theory of Voltaic Action." It seems 

 proper that some record of this should find a place in our pro- 

 ceedings, and this has not yet been the case. Afterwards I hope 

 to describe experimentally some modern applications of 

 electricity. 



