LINNEAN SOCIETY OP LONDON. XIU 



not be doubted. I mean tbe existence and working of minQj? 

 societies ; one pursuing a single isolated branch of zoology ; another 

 adopting an exclusive means of investigation, and thereby con- 

 tracting its sphere of information on any particular branch ; and 

 a third taking up the whole extent of the Animal Kingdom, 

 an^ thus antagonizing directly and throughout its entire scope, 

 that important portion of our own field of action; for there is 

 scarcely a meeting of any one of these departmental Societies, 

 as I may term them, at which there are not communications 

 read, which would deserve a place in our own Transactions or 

 Journal. 



This subject has long engaged my most auxious attention, and 

 I cannot but hope that some plan might be wrouglit out, which 

 would enable this Society to afford tlie great advantage of its 

 aQkn.owledged prestige, and the extensive circulation of its publi- 

 cations, to many of the more important of the communications to 

 which I refer. I do nob profess satisfactorily to have matured 

 any such plan ; but I Jiave thought much on the subject, and have 

 conferred with those whom I thought likely to afford me available 

 counsel ; and I will now take the libedy of laying before you some 

 thoughts respecting it, which, though crude, may induce those 

 whom. I address to give it their consideration, and thus probably 

 lead to some practicable and available expedient. 



At the same time it must be acknowledged that there are great 

 difficulties in the way of such an adjustment. The whole subject 

 of the relation between minor or branch societies and the parent 

 or central one, and the question of the utility to Science of such 

 dismemberment are involved in it. This is a matter to be ap- 

 proached with diffident and cautious, but I trust not without 

 hopeful consideration. 



On the motives which usually lead to the establishment of 

 such societies it is not necessary to dwell at any length, and in 

 some instances I fear that any such investigation would appear 

 an invidious one. It it more important to endeavour to discover 

 the means by which such diversion of the stream of knowledge 

 into smaller collateral channels, shall be rendered innocuous or 

 useful, and temptation to further subdivision diminished. 



It is an argument commonly urged by the advocates of such 

 dissociation as we are now considering, that it comes within the 

 same category as the great general question of the advantages 

 resulting from the subdivision of labour ; but it appears to me 

 that the analogy is altogether unreal, or at most very partial in 



