ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS. 3 
those who have been used to the artistic beauty of their engravings, 
and is in my opinion quite unworthy of the leading scientific 
society of a great country. 
The prize essay awards have cost us £50, and in my mind the 
time has now come for us to reconsider the whole question of 
spending any part of our limited means in this direction. In spite 
of the possibly valuable papers which the offer of rewards has 
brought us, I am inclined to think that scientific investigation 
might be more efficiently assisted by devoting the money at 
present spent on awards to the purchase of apparatus or material 
for those who require such assistance, or in improving our library. 
It is right I should add that this is my individual opinion only, 
and that I know my views are not shared by several members of 
the Council, whose opinion I value. 
An inspection of the Society’s house discloses the fact that con- 
siderable repairs will be required during the current year, and we 
must expect to have to meet a heavy charge on this account. The 
matter is engaging your Council’s attention. 
Turning to our building fund, we find that it is increasing 
slowly, and now reaches the sum of £1,286, which is invested on 
fixed deposit at the Union Bank. The Council has devoted a 
considerable time to the question of the investment of this fund, 
and it is possible that it may be found desirable to vary the mode 
of investment, provided that an eligible security can be found. It 
must not be forgotten, however, that our present premises are 
becoming too small for the accommodation of the library, which 
even now makes the conduct of the office work difficult by trench- 
ing on the Assistant Secretary’s room. Some temporary relief 
has been afforded by storing books behind the dais in our meet- 
ing room, but the time is not far distant when the building fund 
will have to be employed in providing us with the actual space 
which we require. 
The Clarke Memorial Fund and the Abercromby Fund stand 
respectively at £360 and £68, and require no special comment. 
