40 PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
from two to six guests in their houses, and, from the account of 
the Montreal meeting given by General Sir J. Henry Lefroy, 
K.C.M.G., C.B., F.R.S. to the Colonial Institute, the gathering 
must have been very interesting and most enjoyable. Any one 
wishing for further particulars should consult his paper, to which 
T am indebted fer some of the above references to the Montreal 
meeting. 
Although so many old members of the British Association 
visited Canada, including nearly all its most distinguished members, 
we cannot, I think, as I said in my letter, reasonably expect’ the 
British Association to visit Australia for some years to come, but 
I think that if we arrange for a gathering of all the most pro- 
minent scientific men and well-wishers of science in Australia, and 
invite the members of the British and American Associations to 
visit us, we may probably have a fair number of visitors. 
There is no doubt that a meeting of the kind held during the 
centennial year would confer great benefit upon the Colonies and 
convey much instruction to our visitors. It would afford a 
unique opportunity for the exchange of ideas and information ; 
and it would not only have an immediate beneficial effect, but 
would permanently raise the high-water-mark of thought in all 
the Colonies, and especially in connection with scientific matters. 
It would tend to stimulate all classes, and disseminate a taste 
for mest branches of knowledge. 
The British Association. meeting at Montreal seems to be re- 
garded on all hands as having been a success from every point of 
view—from the special scientific one of the Association itself, and 
from the picnic point of view of those who merely went for 
pleasure. 
At the Sydney meeting in 1888 the opportunity should be 
taken to take stock, as it might be termed, of all scientific matters. 
more particularly connected with Australasia. 
It would be a splendid opportunity to correlate and correct 
all the scattered and fragmentary geological maps and memoirs 
relating to the various Colonies, and to adopt a uniform system of — 
nomenclature, colouring, &e., for all Australasian geological maps. 
