PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. O 



died at the age of 46 years, on 12th March, 1917. He was 

 elected a member in 1908. 



Dr. Edward Pierson Ramsay, born at Dobroyde, Ashfield, 

 in 1842, a son of Dr. David Ramsay one of the early settlers 

 in Australia, was educated at St. Mark's School, Mac- 

 quarie Fields, and afterwards at Darling Point, under the 

 Rev. G. S. Macarthur. He followed in the footsteps of 

 his father and showed great interest in natural history 

 study. When Dr. Pittard was the Curator of the Aus- 

 tralian Museum in Sydney, Dr. Ramsay travelled in 

 New South Wales and Queensland in search of specimens 

 suitable for the Museum, and subsequently in 1874 was 

 appointed Curator, a post he filled with much success until 

 1895, when he was compelled to retire through ill-health. 

 He was then appointed Consulting Ornithologist to the 

 Museum, a position he held until his death. While natural 

 history was the chief branch of his scientific research, he 

 took akeen interest in the advancement of science generally. 

 His early love for botany found expression in the Dobroyde 

 new plant nursery, through which a large number of plants 

 were first introduced to Australia. Bird and animal life 

 also largely claimed his attention, and lie worked in col- 

 laboration with the late Sir Richard Owen (England) on the 

 extinct animals of Australia, among which were discovered 

 the giant kangaroo and marsupial lion. On another occas- 

 ion Dr. Ramsay was requested by John Gould to guard his 

 Australian interests in his famous folio work " Birds of 

 Australia." In the work of furthering the advancement 

 of science in Australia Dr. Ramsay was, together with Sir 

 William Macleay, one of the founders of the Linnean 

 Society. He was elected a member of this Society in 1865, 

 and was also a Fellow of the Geological Society of England, 

 a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, a Correspond- 

 ing Member of the Zoological Society of England, and a 



