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PRESIDENT S INAUGURAL ADDRESS. 



which may come before them. In choosing me to follow such a 

 President yon must be aware that yon have selected one who is, to 

 a great extent, a specialist, and whose general biological knowledge 

 is far less than that of many in this room ; it may be, however, 

 that this will not prove to be wholly a disadvantage, since it can 

 scarcely be a healthy thing for a society to rely too much upon its 

 President, and to allow his ready ability to take the place of 

 personal efforts amongst the members. My duty will be rather to 

 endeavour to encourage and to develop what others may be ready 

 to do, than to occupy the Society's time myself, to see that every 

 man who can be induced to do anything has an opportunity of 

 doing it, and that he is not discouraged from the effort ; and to 

 hold an even course if differences should ever appear. These con- 

 siderations naturally lead me to think of the future of the Club, 

 and what I should wish it to be. It mav, and no doubt will be 

 said, that this is not a dry scientific Society, but a Club in which 

 the social element largely exists. I am quite aware that such is 

 the case, and that it is under the influence of this social element 

 that an amount of success has been attained such as does not 

 always fall to the lot of a purely scientific Society ; but I believe 

 that its social success has depended upon its scientific element, 

 and that it is a collection of men of similar tastes, views, and 

 objects in the application of a magnificent tool to a great variety of 

 subjects. I remember, not long ago, the starting in London of 

 another Club, which went by the name of " The Dilettante 

 Circle ; " its members were artists and musicians, and it commenced 

 its existence under very favourable circumstances, its entertain- 

 ments were most enjoyable, but its object was enjoyment only, its 

 members assembled for the mere pleasure of the evening, and, from 

 the first hour of its existence, it was overshadowed by the wings 

 of the demon of ennui. Little by little men grew tired, and little 

 by little they drew off, until the Society gradually died out. This 

 element of ennui would be certain to pervade meetings where 

 pleasure was the sole aim and object. The dilettante spirit, if 

 too much developed, is the bane of a Club like ours ; it is perhaps 

 rather too widely spread, although a little of it is no doubt not 

 only permissible, but even desirable ; and, therefore, whilst I insist 

 that the microscope should not be regarded merely as a means 

 of enjoying the beauty which it reveals, I am very far from 

 agreeing with those who talk with some little contempt of a mere 

 beauty " as a thing not worthy of consideration. My earliest 



