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Jealue, the odacational work whLh we liave accomplished. From the 

 I organization of the Club its Councils have recognized the importance of 

 ' this phase of our work, and the number of active naturalists now con- 

 nected with it shows that we have not labored in vain. Besides the 

 eleraentai-y lectures at excursions, to which I have already referred, an 

 important factor in our educational efforts has been our course of after- 

 noon classes, these originating in a Botany cla.ss, conducted by Mr. 

 Fletcher for three winters, developed into our Monday afternuon course 

 of elementary lectures in all the leading departments of Natural His- 

 tory. These lectures are intended to be simply expositions of the 

 main facts and principles of the subjects treated of, given in such a 

 manner as to be understood by the merest novice and to be interest- 

 ing to those further advanced, as is evident from the fact that many of 

 OUT leading Naturalists make a point of always being present. The 

 "Council are pleased to see that these meetings are steadily growing in 

 4opularity, though still nothing like as well attended as they ought to 

 lie, considering how great are the advantages offered to the student, and 

 all perfectly free of charge, open to all, young or old, member or non- 

 member of the Club. I am sure if it was generally known that such 

 a,n admirable course of instruction in these subjects was open to all 

 who chose to avail themselves of it this room would not hold our 

 ;audiences. 



In the same line were two courses of lessons given in Central 

 School West with special excursions in connection with them conduct- 

 ed by the botanical leaders ; by these and in every other way that 

 :seemed open to them the Councils have endeavored to cultivate a love 

 for the study of Natural History, and upon the whole we have every 

 reason to be gratified wich the measure of success that has attended 

 their efF<)rts. 



The foregoing being a brief account of what the Club ha? done 

 =and is doing, the question arises, what shall we do in the future, shall 

 we go on in the same jxiths, endeavoring to perfect our work in the 

 lines laid down in our rules, keeping it a strictly locil club, or shall 

 we, as some of our members, and some outsiders, have advocated, en- 

 large our bounds and convert our club into a general Natural History 



