14 ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 



me to follow more exhaustively the interesting records of the 

 progress of Science during the past year all over the world. I 

 must now ask your indulgence for a brief period whilst I deal 

 with matters connected more immediately with the working of 

 our own Society. But, before doing so, I must not pass over 

 without notice the effort made in the course of the past year by 

 our late energetic President, Professor Liversidge (to whose 

 untiring exertions the Society owes in a great measure the high 

 position it has attained), to bring the Australasian Societies 

 together, and to form an Australasian Association for the 

 Advancement of Science. Delegates from Victoria, New Zealand, 

 and Queensland, met the Delegates of kindred Societies in New 

 South Wales in these Rooms, in the month of November last, 

 under the presidency (in my absence) of Mr. H. C. Russell. 

 Letters were laid on the table by Professor Liversidge from the 

 principal Australasian Societies, agreeing to the proposal. A 

 resolution for the formation of the Society was carried unanimously. 

 The rules of the British Association were adopted, and it was 

 resolved that the first election of officers should be held in Sydney 

 in March, 1888. Professor Liversidge was appointed convener of 

 the Meeting, and a hearty vote of thanks was recorded to him for 

 the steps he had taken towards the formation of the Association. 



Professor Huxley, in his Presidential Address in 1885, had 

 expressed the hope that the Royal Society of England might in 

 some way associate with itself all English-speaking Men of Science, 

 that it might recognise their work in other ways than those 

 afforded by the rare opportunities of . election to its Foreign 

 Membership. We are proud to have had the services of three of 

 our Members distinguished in this way, and it is not presumptuous 

 to hope that the formation of the Australasian Association for 

 the Advancement of Science may open the way to the realization 

 of the idea thus propounded by Professor Huxley, in so far at 

 least as the Australasian Colonies are concerned. 



It is satisfactory to be able to inform you that the numerical 

 strength of the Society has been pretty well maintained during 



