Annual Meeting. 5 



could not, he feared, maintain that this city was a great centre 

 of learning and scientific investigation, or that there was an 

 extraordinary interest taken in scientific matters. But there 

 was undoubtedly a small circle who did take such an interest, 

 and it was one of the functions of the Society to educate public 

 opinion there, and this, he thought, they strove very hard to do 

 with the limited means at their disposal. At their meetings of 

 this year they had had several papers of real interest, and one or 

 two describing valuable original observations. This was an ex- 

 cellent sign, and the Society ought to have a number of such 

 contributions. Belfast is the centre of a district of great in- 

 terest to the student of natural history, of geology, of mineralogy, 

 and of archaeology, so that there is an excellent field for original 

 observation and work. Surely, too, the local industries, which 

 depend so largely upon scientific principles, ought to furnish 

 matter for original contributions to their meetings. When a 

 great vessel like the Teutonic was built were there not some new 

 points of scientific interest brought to light which their Society 

 might have the advantage of bringing before the public ? That 

 the papers read at the meetings of the Society had been of in- 

 terest — he might say of great interest — was proved by the large 

 audiences who had listened to them, and a similar remark ap- 

 plied to the series of lectures that had been given. The Society 

 was to be congratulated on securing as one of its lecturers for 

 the past year a man of such universal reputation as Sir William 

 Thomson. He (the President) said last year, and he repeated 

 it now, that they ought to have a more suitable building and a 

 proper lecture theatre of their own. Surely there ought to be 

 one or many of their townspeople willing to give assistance in 

 this matter, and he thought their claim was a very strong 

 one. In conclusion, he had only to say that many valuable 

 donations had been made to the Museum ; that there was a 

 balance as regarded money, which, though small, was not on 

 the wrong side ; and that, thanks to the great energy and in- 

 terest taken by their Treasurer and Secretary in the affairs of 

 the Society, and also, he hoped, to the growing esteem in which 

 they were held, the roll of membership continued to enlarge. 



