620 
president's address. 
is to the individual; still it marks the fact that infancy and 
childhood so to speak are safely passed, and the difficulties 
connected with the early growth of a Society successfully com- 
bated. 
The history of the Society has quite recently been so fully dealt 
with in the Introduction to the Macleay Memorial Volume, that I 
need not go into it on the present occasion, but there are a few 
matters connected with the work of the Society to which I will 
briefly refer. 
There is the increasing responsibility which, more especially in 
respect to financial matters, ever since Sir William Macleay's 
retirement from active work, has devolved upon the Council. 
Up to the time mentioned Sir William Macleay relieved 
the Council of such burdens. Nevertheless the harmony which 
characterised the meetings of those days continues undis- 
turbed, and the desire of the members to cope fairly with the 
greater responsibilities is evidenced by the high average 
attendance of members at the meetings. This development in 
the financial aspect of the Council's work is one which should be 
allowed due weight in the selection of members to sit on the 
Council. The claims of the scientific aims of the Society to be 
represented are not in danger, as we have many active members 
ready to look after its interests in this respect. The endowment 
fund, lately increased by the addition of the Bacteriology Bequest, 
amounts to over £30,000. To invest wisely and to keep wisely 
invested so large a sum, the duty of which devolves on the 
Council, requires the selection of a fair proportion of members 
skilled and experienced in financial matters. 
The Proceedings of the first two years of the Society's work 
were issued as Volume I. In the course of the next few 
weeks the publication of our twentieth volume will be completed. 
While a high average of value has been maintained we have, 
in amount of matter published annually, outstripped most of our 
sister Societies in Australasia, and our ability to do this we owe to 
the beneficence of Sir William Macleay. 
