4 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 
Another matter which should not be passed over with so short 
a notice as is given to it in our Council’s Report, is the establish- 
ment of exchange relations with no less than 107 other and 
kindred Societies scattered over the world. By this means we 
have, in return for 579 volumes sent out (our own and others 
given us for distribution), secured at least 1,000 new works for 
our library, very many of them valuable ones, which could only 
have been obtained for use in the Colony in exchange for works 
of a kindred Society like ours. This alone is no small matter to 
record for the past year, and it reminds me of something I wished 
to say. You all know how our Rules set forth that the “ object 
of this Society is to receive original papers on scientific subjects, 
art, literature, and philosophy ; and especially such subjects as 
tend to develop the resources of Australia, and illustrate its 
natural history and productions” ; and you also know how, in a 
humble way, we have steadily kept to our purpose, but by adding 
to it this year the distribution of our own and other publications 
of a like character, partly for the return we knew we should get, 
and partly with the object of spreading knowledge, we have, so far 
as our means permitted, taken in this Colony the position held by 
the Smithsonian Institution in America. That institution had, as 
you are aware, an origin very different from ours, it is a monu- 
ment to the love of knowledge and munificence of an Englishman 
named “ Smithson,” who, on condition that the money was eae 
for the “Increase and diffusion of knowledge among men,” 
devoted his fortune (about £100,000) to found it. Right nobly 
the work is carried on by the Regents‘or Council of the institu- 
tion, in publishing new works, and in sending them, together 
with all the scientific books they can get, the world over. 
Sustained by ample funds from the endowment, they ean act 
as their love of science dictates, while we who have only our 
subscriptions to work upon, are following their example as far as 
wecan. It isa laudable position for us to aspire to ; and I hope 
that as our “Smithson” has not yet appeared, our Government 
will help us to do this work, which is for the public good, until 
