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the purchase of copies of the Report of the British Association's Meeting in South Africa, for presentation to members, and in addition, they hoped to be in a position to make further grants for research work.

1906 Meeting.-The Chairman stated that the invitation to hold the meeting next year in Kimberley had been accepted by the Council. The exact date of the meeting had not yet been fixed, but this would be decided as soon as possible.

Presidential Address.-The Chairman stated that he had intended to deliver his Presidential Address that day; but owing to other business this had been found impossible, and he would, therefore, deliver it at some future date.

Mr.

General Business.-Mr. Reid-Bell proposed a vote of thanks to Mr. Reunert for his services as President during the past year. von Dessauer seconded. Mr. Ernest Williams and Sir David Gill supported the motion. Sir David Gill referred to the great services rendered by Mr. Reunert in London and in South Africa in connection with the visit of the British Association. The motion was carried unanimously, and Mr. Reunert returned thanks in a few words.

Mr. Ernest Williams proposed a vote of thanks to the Hon. Secretaries, Mr. Cullen and Dr. Gilchrist. This was seconded by Dr. Flint and carried. Mr. Cullen expressed thanks on behalf of himself and Dr. Gilchrist.

Election of Council, 1905-6.—Mr. von Dessauer said that, before proceeding with the election of the Council, he would draw attention to Rule 6 (b), which provided that the meeting could only elect one member of Council to every 25 members of the Association, but that this included ex-officio members, which he thought was not the intention when the rule was framed.

After discussion, the meeting agreed that the correct interpretation of the rule did not mean that Past Presidents, Past and Present General Secretaries and Treasurers should be included in the number to be elected at the Annual Meeting, and the rule was therefore ordered to be further amended accordingly.

The election of the new Council was then proceeded with, at the conclusion of which the meeting closed.

REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE PERIOD FROM 9TH APRIL, 1904, To 28TH AUGUST, 1905.

In consequence of the visit of the British Association to South Africa the Third Annual Meeting of the South African Association was limited to the Annual Business Meeting, which was held at Johannesburg.

Although no sectional meetings of the South African Association were held, several members contributed papers to the sectional meetings of the British Association.

The meeting of the British Association was opened at Cape Town on Tuesday, the 15th August, 1905, and was concluded at Johannesburg on Friday, the 1st September, when the work of the Sections terminated.

At the request of the British Association the Council of the South African Association nominated two vice-presidents and two secretaries for each Section of the British Association, to assist the Sectional Committees at Capetown and Johannesburg.

At a meeting of the Council, held on the 26th February, 1904, it was resolved that a handbook on scientific work and progress in South Africa should be published on the occasion of the visit of the British Association to South Africa.

The Editors (Rev. William Flint, D.D., and J. D. F. Gilchrist, M.A., D.Sc., etc.) were appointed by the Colonial Governments on the recommendation of the Council, and the work was prepared under the auspices of the South African Governments and the South African Association for the Advancement of Science, the cost of production being principally defrayed by the various South African Govern

ments.

By arrangement with the British Association, and in consideration of the payment of a sum of £500, the British Association admitted as Associates for the meeting in South Africa all Members of the South African Association for the Advancement of Science who joined the latter Association before the 1st July, 1905, and paid their subscriptions for at least the two years ending 30th June, 1906.

Eight hundred and sixty-two Members elected to become Associates of the British Association on these conditions, and these Members were consequently entitled to attend all meetings of the British Association. They were, however, not allowed to vote at the general meeting of the British Association, and will not receive from the British Association its Report of Proceedings of the meetings in South Africa. The South African Association has, however,

guaranteed to purchase from the British Association, at cost price, copies of this report for presentation to Members of the South African Association who complied with the above conditions.

The Annual General Meeting of Members of the South African Association took place at Johannesburg on Monday, the 28th August, under the presidency of Mr. T. Reunert, M.I.C.E. At this meeting, among other business, Mr. Gardner F. Williams was elected President for 1905-6, with Members of Council and a Managing Committee for the same period. Certain alterations to the Constitution were also adopted.

The Report of the Treasurer for the year ended 30th June, 1905, with financial statements, is appended. With regard to outstanding subscriptions, the names of thirty-one Members, who, in spite of repeated requests, failed to pay their subscriptions for the year ending 30th June, 1902, have been struck off the register.

The Council expresses the hope that Members will not allow their subscriptions to fall in arrear, as besides the trouble and expense caused by the sending out of reminders, the lack of funds prevents the Council from carrying out one of the main objects of the Association, viz., the granting of money for original research work.

The report of the Meeting held at Johannesburg in April, 1904, was published in the following December, and copies have been sent to those who were Members on the 30th June, 1904, and who have paid their subscriptions up to that date. From the appended statement it will be seen that the cost to the Association for printing and distributing the volume has been very small, and the thanks of the Association are due to the Government of the Transvaal for the grant of £400, and to certain gentlemen at Johannesburg who made liberal donations for the same object. Thanks are also due to Mr. W. Cullen and Mr. J. R. Williams, whose services in collecting funds for defraying the cost of publication were so successful.

The list of individuals, societies, and public institutions to which a copy of the report is presented now numbers 158, and at the request of the local committee at Johannesburg the publications received in exchange are sent to Johannesburg for the purpose of forming the nucleus of a scientific reference library

there.

The Council has accepted the offer of Mr. A. R. Goldring to furnish information concerning the Association to those who may apply to him in London, and has appointed him as the representative of the Association in London.

The vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Henry de Smidt as Trustee has been filled by the appointment of Mr. W. T. Buissinne. Reports have been received from Mr. J. Burtt Davy, F.L.S., F.R.G.S., that he is making satisfactory progress with the "Annotated Catalogue of the Flowering Plants and Ferns Known to

Occur in the Transvaal," in aid of the preparation of which the Association made him a grant of £50.

Mr. R. T. A. Innes, F.R.A.S., to whom a grant of £25 was made in aid of the work of preparing tables of the barometric pressures over South Africa and adjacent regions is still pursuing his investigations, and will present the final report on his work at the Kimberley Meeting next year.

Professor H. H. W. Pearson, M.A., F.L.S., read an abstract of the result of his researches on Welwitschia mirabilis before Section "K" of the British Association during the meeting in South Africa, and the Council has agreed to consider this as a fulfilment of the conditions under which the grant of £25 was made to him.

It will be remembered that in connection with the Session held in Johannesburg in April, 1904, a small Loan Museum was organised. This proved so successful that the Johannesburg Members of Council appointed a Committee to report on the question of a permanent Museum for Johannesburg. The Committee, in order to enlist the sympathy of all classes of the community, and to co-ordinat all interests, approached all the public bodies and scientific and technical societies, with a view to including representatives from each. Nineteen Associations accepted the invitation, and that enlarged committee now consists of thirty-six members under the chairmanship of Mr. Julius Jeppe, with Professor John Orr as hon. secretary. A definite scheme was formulated and pushed forward, but no progress can be made until more funds are available. The Witwatersrand Council of Education has subscribed £100. This Association has lent for preliminary expenses £25, and the Town Council of Johannesburg has promised £1,000 when £5,000 has been subscribed. Gifts of a large number of skins and horns and geological specimens have been made, while a number of valuable models have been lent, which are temporarily housed in the Transvaal Technical Institute Buildings. The Committee, with the assistance of the Johannesburg Reception Committee, organised another Loan Museum in connection with the visit of the British Association, a large number of South African exhibits being shown, which proved very interesting to the oversea and local visitors, over 2,000 of whom visited the collection. It is hoped ere long to realise the aims of the Committee by the organisation of a Museum worthy of the chief mining town in South Africa.

The meeting next year will be held at Kimberley, under the presidency of Mr. Gardner F. Williams, and will open on Monday, the 9th of July.

WM. CULLEN,

J. D. F. GILCHRIST,

Hon. Secretaries.

REPORT BY THE HON. TREASURER FOR THE year ended 30TH JUNE, 1905.

During the year 1904-5, the Membership of the Association has largely increased, with a corresponding improvement in the financial position. It is only just to place it on record that such is mainly due to the efforts made by the Officers of the Johannesburg Branch, and to the generosity of the Members and of the general public at that centre in contributing so liberally towards the objects of the Association.

It will be noted that three financial statements are attached :-
(a) One dealing with the income and expenditure of the
Association as a whole.

(b) One dealing with those of Cape Colony and Rhodesia.
(c) One dealing with those of Transvaal, Orange River

Colony and Natal.

To the latter is appended a separate statement, showing in detail the contributions in aid of the issue of the proceedings of the 1904 Session at Johannesburg and the expenditure in connection therewith.

From the first of these statements, it will be noted that there is a substantial balance to the credit of the Association, but it must be remembered that certain deductions will have to be made, namely:

(1) Contribution to the funds of the British

Association as agreed upon

...

(2) Life subscriptions and entrance fees...

£500

351

£851

This second item is not lost to the Association, but is not available for ordinary use, being paid over to the Trustees for investment in accordance with Rule 11 of the Constitution.

In accordance with this Rule, a sum of £350 was paid to the credit of the Trustees, and by them placed on deposit in the Standard Bank pending investment on favourable terms.

The total membership on the 30th June, 1905, was 1,289, of which 453 belong to Cape Colony and Rhodesia, and 836 to the Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Natal.

The Life Members number 15 in Cape Colony and Rhodesia, and 6 in Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Natal, or a total of 21. The arrears of subscriptions still amount to a total sum of £201 for Cape Colony and Rhodesia, and to £221 for Transvaal, Orange River Colony and Natal, or a total of £422.

W. WESTHOFEN,
Hon. Treasurer.

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