ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 33 



The general public have an opportunity of learning that there 

 is no great mystery either about scientific workers or their methods 

 of work ; of course, in some cases long and laborious training is 

 necessary for certain investigations, but a very great deal of a 

 very useful kind can be done by those who have had no special 

 training whatever, provided that they are of ordinary intelligence 

 and use and cultivate their powers of observation, and work 

 diligently upon some selected and definite question, the results- 

 usually depend more upon the willingness to take pains, than what 

 is termed genius or brilliancy of intellect. 



At the meetings themselves, there is no doubt that some of the 

 members try to do too much and rush from one lecture room to 

 another, it is not the intention of the Association to provide for 

 such ; the hours of meeting for the various sections are made so 

 that members may be able to attend all the meetings relating to- 

 a certain group of subjects, but not the others also ; if the meetings 

 of the sections, were arranged so that everyone could attend all 

 the sections, or if all the papers were read before general meetings 

 of the Association instead of before the Sections, the time occupied 

 by the meeting would extend over almost as many weeks as there 

 are sections instead of for one week as at present. 



The next meeting will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand,, 

 under the presidency of Sir James Hector, k.c.m.g., f.r.s., com- 

 mencing on January 15th, 1891 ; Professor Hutton of Canterbury 

 College, Christchurch, is the Hon. Secretary for New Zealand, and 

 he has already nearly all the arrangements complete. The Union 

 Steam Ship Company have agreed to give members " all round" 

 tickets, together with other privileges as to priority of berths for 

 the return trip— a matter of no small importance — at greatly 

 reduced fares ; the steamers from Melbourne will call in at 

 Milford and other Sounds ; the railway authorities in New Zea- 

 land, as well as those in the Australian Colonies, have agreed to 

 give return tickets to members at single fares. 



With the much larger number of committees for investigations 

 and the experience gained by their members at the previous 



C-May 7, 1890. 



