.President’s Address. 
G1 
information as to that country, and especially as to portions of it previously 
very imperfectly known. Indeed there can he no question that this woik, 
the results of its author’s long residence and extensive travels in the interior 
of the Chinese Empire, will be for a long time to come the great authority 
on the Celestial Kingdom. The present volume contains, amongst other 
matters, full details of v. Richtofeu’s investigations of the loess-like de¬ 
posits of China, deposits which he attributes to deposition from dust trans- 
ported by the atmosphere. To the same origin Dr. E. Tietze has attributed 
the deposits in the upland plains of Persia, and it is not unlikely that he 
may be correct in so doing, although I myself thought these formations 
due to a different mode of deposition. 
I had hoped in this address to enter upon at least one other subject, 
the distribution of the fauna of India, and to have reviewed the present 
state of our knowledge on the question. I had collected for this purpose 
some notes relating to the connection between India and some of the other 
zoological regions into which the earth’s surface is divided, but the time at 
my disposal has not been sufficient to enable me to treat the subject as 
thoroughly as I could desire, and I must therefore postpone all remarks 
upon it for another opportunity. 
The President added—In conclusion I have to propose a vote of 
thanks to the Honorary Secretaries for their labours on behalf of the Socie¬ 
ty. The amount of work, and hard work, done by them at all times is so 
We as to merit our hearty acknowledgements, and during the past two 
years, in consequence, in the first place, of the alterations in the Society’s 
house, secondly of the absence of the Natural History Secretary, who has 
for so many years edited Part II of the Journal, and thirdly of the resig¬ 
nation of the Assistant Secretary and his replacement by another, there has 
been more to do than usual, and by far the greater portion of this additional 
work has been done, and, I am sure you will agree with me, very well done 
by Captain Waterhouse, who has now filled the office of General Secretary 
for the long period of 6i years. We are also greatly indebted to several 
other gentlemen to Mr. Medlicott, who undertook the duties of General 
Secretary for four months, during Captain Waterhouse’s absence from Cal¬ 
cutta ; to Mr. Tawney, who very obligingly carried on the work of Philolo- 
gic a i Secretary, when the sudden death of Mr. Blochmann deprived us of 
his invaluable services, and to Dr. Hoernle, who has now accepted the 
Secretaryship ; to Mr. Gay, who was Treasurer until his departure from 
Calcutta in July, and to Mr. Beverley who has taken charge of our finances 
since. All of these gentlemen have given a large proportion of time, care 
and attention to the Society’s business, and we are greatly indebted to all 
