ae J. B. CLELAND. 
be followed by a series of further, improved curves, from ; 
which calculations of eminent scientific importance will be 
made. The expense of this research, a research of inter- 
national character, must be borne by those who have 
learned to appreciate the value of science, and it should 
not be left to Father Pigot to trouble himself about these 
sordid matters. The Editor of The Medical Journal of 
Australia has therefore taken upon himself the respon- 
sibility of collecting a sum sufficient to cover the cost of 
the research for two years. Contributions to the fund will 
be gratefully acknowledged. 
Chemistry —The chemical research done in Australia 
within the last year, 1s chiefly that in connection with prob- 
lems which have been taken up by the Advisory Council of 
Science and Industry. A Bulletin dealing with the Alu- 
nite deposits of Australia and their utilisation, has ap- 
peared. The conditions for roasting alunite so as to obtain 
the potash in a soluble form (potassium sulphate) have 
now been well investigated. The potassium salts thus made 
available should be a valuable asset to the country, as 
potash manures have not been obtainable to any extent 
since the outbreak of war. 
Establishments for the manufacture of electrolytic zine 
and calcium carbide are under construction in Tasmania. 
Messrs. Baker and Smith, of Sydney, have continued 
- their researches on the eucalypts and other native plants, 
and the importance of their work to chemists becomes in- 
creasingly more evident. 
Part Il—Rats and Mice. 
For the special part of this address, I am taking as a 
subject ‘‘Rats and Mice.’’ My reasons for doing so are 
several. First of all, the subject is one of general interest, 
and in a Society such as ours, composed of members whose 
