ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 11 
Astronomer may have had his attention directed to the subject ; 
and if so we may hope to be favoured with the results of his 
observations before the present session of our Society closes. 
The Astronomer Royal has during the past year issued a report 
on the Transit of Venus Expeditions, and intimated that when 
the photographs of this transit have been measured and worked 
out another report may be required. The observations of our — 
own Astronomer were, it is well known, amongst the most valu- 
able of the contributions offered towards the solution of the 
problem of the earth’s distance from the sun, and the result of 
the working-out of the caiculations gives the mean distance as 
equal to 93,300,000 miles. 
Mr. Romane’s observations on the nerves of jelly-fish, 
communicated to the Royal Institution in May last, 
were a valuable contribution in the direction of our know- 
ledge on the evolution of nerve and nerve systems, possess- 
ing additional significance when considered in connection with 
Mr. Herbert Spencer’s “ Principles of Psychology”; whilst the 
studies of Mr. Osborne Reynolds, on vortex motions in fluids, 
which were communicated to the Physical Society, and which 
may be illustrated by puffing rings of smoke into the air, will, it 
is believed, when further carried out, afford many valuable data 
in shipbuilding, as well as in other ways. His communication 
to the British Association “ On the difference of the steering of 
steamers with the screw reversed when under full way and 
when moving slowly,” is specially valuable to such a maritime 
country as Great Britain. 
But I must not attempt to pursue this interesting inquiry 
further to-night. It would be impossible within the limits of 
an address of this kind to follow out and bring under notice 
the progress that has been made in all the departments of 
“science in the Mother Country, and I must now return to 
matters of local concern calling for notice at my hands. In the 
first place, I should call attention to the work that has been 
done by our own Sections towards the promotion of the 
