Z C. HEDLEY. 



Many lasting friendships, much educational correspond- 

 ence, and many novel ideas were originated by the visit to 

 Australia of the British Association. Probably it is not 

 too much to say that every worker here in every branch 

 has received a stimulus to more and better work. Even 

 before the arrival of our guests, we benefited by prepara- 

 tion, by setting our house in order, by producing as hand- 

 books, the best summaries of the fauna, flora, geology, 

 ethnology, and social evolution of Australia that have yet 

 appeared. Again, we benefited by the personal contact 

 of student with student, of specialist with specialist ; by 

 advice or suggestions, even by communication of ideas too 

 nebulous for print or paper, but which yet may be fruitful 

 and far-reaching. Yet again benefits are to accrue to us 

 from field work on long journeys conducted by our visitors, 

 such as the researches on ethnology by Haddon, Rivers, 

 Malinowski, Layard, and Brown; on geology by Davis; on 

 echinoclerm larva by Mortensen; on monotreme affinity by 

 Watson ; on the Formicidse by Wheeler. 



Several grants were made by the Association in aid of 

 Australian research in palseobotany, marsupial anatomy, 

 the biology of the Abrolhos Islands and Antarctic oceano- 

 graphy. 



The aim of our existence, the production and distribution 

 of knowledge, has been pursued diligently. Our annual 

 volume may be regarded with satisfaction. In 519 pages 

 and 12 plates the Journal includes 29 contributions from 24 

 authors. These range over botany, zoology, geology, 

 chemistry, mechanics, mathematics and statistics. Indeed 

 so wide a field has not, I think been covered in any previous 

 year. 



Under the care of Professor Pollock considerable pro- 

 gress has been made in the rearrangement of the library. 

 During the year location lists have been completed of the 



