TRANSACTIONS 



Opening A ddress to the Royal Society, delivered at its 

 First Meeting, 12th May, 1871, by Professor 

 Smith, M.D., Vice-President. 



ToTTE Excellency a-Isb GrENTLEMEN", — As you did me tlie honour 

 last year of electing me one of the Vice-Presidents of the Eoyal 

 Society of New South Wales, it now devolves on me to give the 

 usual opening address at the commencement of a new session. 



The first meeting last year was held on May 25th. It was pre- 

 sided over by Mr, Gr. E. Smalley, Government Astronomer, who 

 then announced that, in consequence of ill-health, he wished to 

 retire from the Vice- Presidency. Within six weeks thereafter 

 we had to lament his death. At the meeting held on August 3rd 

 the following resolution was placed on record : — ^" That the Eoyal 

 Society of New South Wales, at tliis, its first monthly meeting 

 after the death of the late Gr. E. Smalley, Esq., desires to express 

 its sympathy with his family, and to record in its minutes their 

 regret at his loss, and a deep sense of the valuable services which 

 he rendered to the society during his connection with it." Mr. 

 Smalley was at one time in charge of the Magnetic Observatory 

 at the Cape of Grood Hope, under Sir Thomas Maclear. He 

 afterwards taught mathematics in King's College, London ; and 

 arrived in this colony in January, 186i, as Government Astrono- 

 mer, succeeding the Eev. W. Scott. He at once became an 



