PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS, 



By R. GREIG-SMITH, D.Sc 



[Read before the Royal Society of N.8. Wales, May 3, 1916.} 



Part 1. — General. 



Perhaps the strongest evidence that we as a Society 

 possess regarding the seriousness of the European War is 

 the fact that many of our members have left us for the 

 front. We are glad that the fortune of war is with us and 

 that these brave members are still on" active duty. Some 

 who left have returned, and we greet these as men who 

 have done all that men can do and we welcome them home 

 again. They are Dr. Alfred Campbell, Sir Alexander Mac- 

 Cormick and Dr. E. S. Stokes. Our absent members are 

 the following: — 



Dr. H. J. W. Brennand, Mr. J. N. O. MacTaggart, 



Prof. T. W. E. David, Mr. F. Marshall, 



Dr. J. A. Dick, Mr. A. M. Mcintosh, 



Dr. Thomas Piaschi, Prof. J. A. Pollock, 



Dr. J. F. Flashman, Dr. J. S. Purdy, 



Mr. O. F. Laseron, Mr. H. B. Taylor, 



Lieut.-Col. A. J. Onslow Thompson, (killed in action). 



While these gentlemen have responded to the battle cry, 

 we on our part have been steadily pursuing our way, doing 

 our utmost to advance the civilisation that the enemy is 

 endeavouring to destroy. That our efforts are meeting 

 with some recognition, and that our Society possesses some 

 of the best scientific minds of the day has been shown by 

 the recent election of two of our members to the Fellow- 

 ship of the Royal Society of London. It is a pleasure to 



A— May 3, 1916. 



