ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 15 
It must be gratifying to every member of our Society, that in 
addition to the expenditure of large sums each year upon our 
library, the publication of our annual volume, the preparation of 
a printed catalogue of our library, &c., we are able to continue, 
year after year to offer prizes for three essays on scientific subjects, 
all tending to the direct material development of this Colony, or 
to the furtherance of science ultimately for the same purpose. We 
find that our efforts in this direction are attracting the talent of 
other countries as well as our own, and prize essays come from 
the other side of the equator. The prize for each subject—£25 
with the Society’s Medal—we do not look upon as the reward for 
work. It is a contribution towards expenses incurred, and we 
know that there are more potent influences operating on the com- 
petitors—the honour of winning the prize—the world-wide publi- 
cation which the prize essay gets in the Society’s Journal—the 
desire to help us in the work we are trying to do, and many other 
motives. Already we have actually paid away in these prizes 
£225, and we hope in the future to meet a difficulty which has 
been felt by competitors, and brought to light by some of the 
essays. Our field for investigation has generally been Australia; 
but we are assured that for most subjects it is too wide, and that 
more valuable essays will be written if the field is more limited. 
The list of subjects for prizes now open is :— 
Series XII.—To be sent in not later than Ist May, 1893. 
No. 40—Upon the Weapons, Utensils, and Manufactures of 
the Aborigines of Australia and Tasmania. 
No. 41—On the Effect of the Australian Climate upon the 
Physical Development of the Australian-born 
Population. 
No. 42—On the Injuries occasioned by Insect Pests upon 
Introduced Trees. 
Series XIII.—To be sent in not later than 1st May, 1894. 
No. 43—On the Timbers of New South Wales, with special 
reference to their fitness for use in construction, 
manufactures, and other similar purposes. 
