president's address. 15 



Since the above was written an account of the International 

 Association of Academies has appeared ("Nature," 28th March, 

 1901), taken from one by M. Gaston Darboux, permanent secre- 

 tary of the Academy of Sciences, in the Journal des Savants. 



From this it appears that the Royal Society and the Paris 

 Academy took the initiative in the formation of this important 

 association, the advantages of which were pointed out by Lord 

 Lister, as President of the Royal Society, in a letter dated 

 November 17th, 1898, to the President of the Paris Academy of 

 Sciences. 



Up to the present about twenty Societies and Academies have 

 been admitted to the Association. Rules have been formulated 

 regulating the admission of new Academies, the constitution of 

 the council and committees, and for the government of the Associ- 

 ation during the intervals between the meetings, which are to 

 take place every three years. 



At the Paris meeting three propositions were also considered. 

 The Royal Society drew attention to the desirability of connecting 

 Struve's measurements upon the arc of meridian, 30° east, with 

 those of Gill on the same meridian in South Africa. 



The Academy of Berlin brought forward the question of how 

 best to facilitate access to manuscript and other documents. At 

 the suggestion of the Paris Academy it was decided to regulate the 

 standardisation of self-recording instruments used in physiology. 



So much favourable interest has already been taken in the 

 Association of Academies, that intended donations to it have 

 already been announced. There is no doubt that its influence 

 will be world wide. Whether an Australasian Academy, if 

 formed, would be received into the International Association of 

 Academies or not, it is desirable, in framing the constitution of an 

 Australasian Academy, to bear the possibility in mind. There is 

 no immediate need to form an Australasian Academy, but one 

 ought to be founded eventually, and it is not amiss to give 

 some consideration to the matter in good time. Federated 



