ABSTRACT OF PROCEEDINGS. vii. 
Commonwealth of Australia, Governor-General, 
Government House, Sydney, 8th April, 1903. 
Sir,—I have the honour, by direction of His Excellency the Governor- 
General, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of 7th inst. His 
Excellency feels greatly honoured by the request of your Council that he 
should become Patron of your Society, and has much pleasure in accept- 
ing that position. - 
I have the honour to be Sir, your obedient servant, 
J. N. E. WINGFIELD, 
Private Secretary to His Excellency the Governor-General: 
The Hon. Secretary, Royal Society of N. 8S. Wales. 
Professor WARREN, M. Inst. C.E., Wh. Sc. then read his ad- 
dress, previously, however, making the following remarks 
relating to the affairs of the Society. 
Financial Position.—The expenses incurred during the 
year have been rather heavier than usual, chiefly in regard 
to the cost of publishing the Journal and repairs to the 
premises; the Hon. Treasurer has however been able to 
pay his way and to carry forward a balance of £8 19s. 8d. 
The Library.—The sum spent during the year upon books 
and periodicals was £92 5s. 7d. 
Exchanges.—Last year the Society exchanged its Journal 
and Proceedings with 426 kindred Institutions, the follow- 
ing having been added to the list :—Musée Nacional de 
Buenos Aires; Deutsches Meteorologisches Gesellschaft, 
Aachen; Instituto Geologico de Mexico; Naturforschende 
Gesellschaft, Basel; American Microscopical Society, 
Lincoln, Nebr.; and in return it has received 289 volumes, 
1,511 parts, 136 reports, 174 pamphlets, 1 hydrographic 
and 2 meteorological charts, total 2,113. 
Papers read in 1902.—During the past year the Society 
held eight (8) meetings at which 17 papers were read; the 
average attendance of members was 50 and of visitors 3. 
Sections.—The Economic Science Section held five meet- 
ings at which five papers were read and discussed. 
