QUEENSLAND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY. 
The annual meeting of this Society was held 
on the 21st ultimo. Mr. Coxen, Vice Presi- 
dent, occupied the chair. The Secretary read 
the following report of the Society’s proceedings 
for 1869 
“ In presenting the Annual Keport for the 
year 1869, the Council have to congratulate 
the members of the society on its condition and 
prospects. 
“The last annual meeting, owing to circum- 
stances which were unavoidable, was held late 
in the year (on the 23rd of April), consequently 
the Society’s operations for the current year 
have been confined to a period of rather more 
than seven months. 
“ During that time thirteen new members 
have been admitted, and the total number now 
on the roll book amounts to thirty, exclusive of 
the names of many who, though still resident in 
Brisbane, have ceased to take any interest in 
the society’s proceedings. 
“ The collections of the society have been en- 
riched by the following additions by presenta- 
tion, loan, or purchase, the thanks of the 
Society having been in each case forwarded to 
the donors, or otherwise suitably acknowledged. 
“ A valuable collection of native birds from 
Cape York has been purchased with the pro- 
mise of future additions. The skins require 
setting up, but the society may be congratu- 
lated at possessing them at so moderate a cost. 
“ A very valuable collection of Australian 
shells has been lent by Mr. Coxen, the vice- 
president, and arranged by him in the cases 
now in the society’s museum, to form the 
nucleus of a larger future collection. 
“ A case of British butterflies has been pre- 
sented by Mr. Dotree ; a collection of Austra- 
lian birds’ eggs by Mr. Millar ; a perfectly white 
Bkin of a small species of kangaroo, by Mr. 
Chapman — supposed to be unique j a two- 
handed native sword, by Mr. Burrowes ; ‘ Life, 
its Nature, &c.,’ by L. H. Grindon, by Mr. 
Tiffin ; hand of a mummy, by Mr. D. M'Connel, 
of Cressbrook ; some stereoscopic slides of 
views on the Gilbert, taken by Mr. Daintree, 
presented by the Minister for Works ; also, a 
number of interesting geological specimens 
from the Gilbert and Gympie Districts, by the 
same gentleman ; sundry small specimens of 
native copper, by Mr. Pettigrew ; copies of 
the maps and reports by the Government 
geological surveyors have also been laid on the 
table through the instrumentality of Mr. Wight. 
“ The papers read before the society during 
the year have not been numerous. Dr. Ban- 
croft has contributed a paper on ‘ Coccus in- 
sects of different varieties,’ with a description 
of their several habitats and products ; also a 
paper describing a new instrument for applica- 
tion in cases of snake bite. Mr. Scott read a 
paper on ‘ The sun, a neglected source of 
power j* and Mr. G. Wight, * On some un- 
classified mental phenomena.’ 
“ At one of the monthly meetings, a very in- 
teresting letter from Professor Max Muller, of 
Oxford, to our President, Sir James Cockle, was 
read by His Honor, on the extreme desirability 
of taking every means to preserve any portion, 
however small, of the native dialects when it 
was possible to obtain them, and urging the pur- 
suit of these enquiries in an organised and sys- 
tematic manner by the Government. The letter 
was ordered to be inserted on the society’s re- 
cords, and appears at the foot of this report. 
Several new books have been added to the 
library, and some of the serials and periodicals 
have been bound for better reference. A cata- 
logue is being compiled for the use of the 
members. 
“ In conclusion, the council and officers wish 
to remind their fellow members of the real 
objects the society has in view — viz., the collec- 
tion of facts bearing upon natural and physical 
history, more particularly of this portion of 
the Australian continent, and of specimens of 
every kind as affording proof and corroboration 
of the facts adduced. The intelligent interest 
of all is earnestly requested to these objects, 
as tending to advance, not merely the material 
prosperity of the colony, but the increase of 
that knowledge of Nature and her laws which 
it is one of our highest privileges to acquire.” 
Letter from Professor Max Muller to Sir 
James Cockle, F.R.S. 
“ Park End, Oxford, March 21, 1869. 
“ Sir, — Please to accept my best thanks for 
the articles on the Australian dialects, which 
you had the kindness to forward to me. 
Though at present I am engaged in a different 
work, and have no time for the study of these 
outlying provinces of human speech, still I am 
delighted to see the accumulation of material 
for further study, and I have no doubt that 
sooner or later important results will be gained 
from these apparently insignificant lists of 
barbarous words. Among barbarous races like 
the natives of Australia the only monument of 
antiquity is their language, and it is here, if 
anywhere, that the historian may hope to dis- 
