President'’ s Annual Address. 
25 
PRESIDENTS ANNUAL ADDRESS. 
1, Introduction. —2. On the Palaeozoic Insects. — 3. On the Exist- 
ence OP Organisms in the pre-Camcrian Rocks. — 4. Recent 
Additions to the Museum and Library. 
With many societies such as ours it is customary for the 
outgoing president to address his fellow members on some 
topic which has formed the subject of his own studies, or to 
review the progress of science during the preceding year; it is 
therefore my privilege as the presiding officer of your society 
to address to you a few farewell words. 
Without attempting anything more than the briefest 
references in either of these directions, I propose to make some 
remarks to you on two geological discoveries, which, while they 
are of local interest, also have a wider significance. But I 
would first call your attention to the more immediate interests 
of our association. 
Our recording secretary has prepared an annual report of 
the doings of the society, and of its financial standing, which 
will be submitted to you; and it therefore seems unnecessary 
for me to review these matters. 
But I may say that the society is doing a continuous and 
useful work in advancing a knowledge of the natural history 
of the province. It is daily becoming more of a centre of 
reference for information on such subjects, and I have no 
doubt that as it becomes better known its usefulness in this 
respecc will increase. 
We have had seasons of zeal which have culminated in 
sending a Hartt to Brazil, and a Chamberlain to Cambridge; 
and we have had intervening periods in which the interest of 
the members in the objects of the society seemed to languish. 
But this lack of interest was seeming and not real, for 
during all the years of our existence as an associated body 
