1874 J President's Address. 43 



Nicobars. Three of Mr. Wood-Mason's papers have been reproduced in 

 European Journals and the appearance of Dr. Stoliczka's notes on the Thely- 

 phoni was quickly followed by the criticisms of Mr. A. G. Butler of the British 

 Museum. 



I mention these facts as shewing the justness of the remark made in 

 another part of this address to the effect that the writings of our naturalists 

 are not so unknown to their brethren at home as some seem to imaorine. 

 Mr. Kurz has given us the second and third fasciculi of his new Burmese 

 Plants and Dr. Gr. Zeller has described the Algae -collected by Mr. Kurz in 

 Arracan and Burmah. The contributions of Dr. Dobson have been as 

 numerous and as valuable as in former years, the most noteworthy of his 

 communications having been his description of a new and remarkable Bat 

 from Johore, in the Malay Peninsula, and his monograph of the Indian fruit- 

 eating Bats. In Dr Dobson who left Calcutta a few months ago at the expi- 

 ration of his term of service in India, the Society has lost a valuable mem- 

 ber and the Museum at Netley gained an enthusiastic Curator. Mr. W, 

 Theobald has described and figured some new species of Unios. 



A modest work on Physical Geography has been published by Mr. H. F. 

 Blanford which has been written specially for Indian students, and in the 

 latter chapters, contains a description of the Geology and climate of India. 



All members of this Society, particularly readers of Part II of the Jour- 

 nal, will have seen how rich the Journal is in. contributions to Natural History 

 and will acknowledge how great is our debt to our Secretaries and to those 

 who follow up this study. I could, however, wish that we could congratu- 

 late ourselves as much on the contributions of papers on subjects in Natu- 

 ral Physics. We cannot, however, do this, for it will be seen that for 

 years there has been (with the exception of some very able papers on Elec- 

 trical subjects) a marked absence of Physical Science from our Journal. 

 This is attributed to two causes : 



First. From the rapid communication with Europe, the facilities are 

 daily increasing for sending such papers to journals and publications, 

 specially devoted to the subjects in which (according to general opinion) 

 these papers will obtain a wider and more useful circulation among those 

 for whose special study they are intended. 



Second. That all those who are qualified to write on Physical Science 

 questions, have so much occupation in the practical work of their life, 

 that time cannot be spared. 



I think this is much to be regretted. I would point out that Natural 

 Histor}' papers are not lost in our Journal, but on the contrary are quoted 

 throughout Europe, and that the Electrical papers, to which I have 

 alluded, have also been extracted by most scientific journals. 



The question is one that calls for our grave consideration, and I would 



