ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 
By the Hon. Proressor Sauitn, C.M.G., Vice-President. 
[Delivered to the Royal Society of N.S.W., 28 May, 1879.] 
GENTLEMEN, 
In opening the business of the Society for another year I 
have the pleasure of congratulating the members on its continued 
prosperity, both as regards accessions to their numbers and appro- 
priate work accomplished. We began last year with a muster-roll 
of 347, and during the year we elected seventy-eight new mem- 
bers. But six members died, and fifteen resigned, so that we 
begin the present year with a roll of 404. In addition to these 
we have fifteen honorary members, of whom one was elected last 
year, Thomas Walker, Esq., Yaralla, Concord, in appreciation of 
his timely and munificent donation of £500 in aid of the building 
fund. 
The attendance at the usual monthly meetings has been very 
good ; but if in connection with this I might venture to point out 
a failing that needs amendment, it is that while we have plenty of 
listeners at our meetings, we have scarcely enough instructors. It 
would gratify the Council of the Society if more of our members 
_ would take up special lines of research, and communicate their 
results from time to time in the shape of papers for our monthly 
meetings. I am aware that most of our members are busy people, 
each having plenty of daily cares and duties, and that “ learned 
leisure” is a scarce commodity amongst us ; and therefore perhaps 
the contributions to the Society are as numerous as might fairly 
: af be expected. I may call attention also to the fact that the work 
