LINNEAN SOCIETY OF LONDON. XX1U 



may thus legitimately exercise its influence, there is one which 

 appears to me at the present moment deserving of some con- 

 sideration. 



When the Society was first instituted, its objects, as you will 

 find them expressly stated in our Charter, were " for the cultiva- 

 tion of the science of Natural History in all its branches, and 

 more especially of the Natural History of Great Britain and 

 Ireland." Now, although it is very certain that the publication 

 of numerous periodical works, having this particular design in 

 view, has rendered it less necessary for the Society to expend its 

 resources upon the mere local Elora and Eauna of various districts 

 of our own country, whilst the rapid advance of zoological and 

 botanical science has rendered the prosecution of the higher 

 branches our primary aim, — and I need only appeal to our publi- 

 cations to show the extent to which this purpose has been, and 

 still continues to be, carried out, — it has occurred to me that in 

 one particular, hitherto unattempted, we may, without entrench- 

 ing upon our higher duties, assist materially in increasing and 

 extending the knowledge of the natural products of the country. 



It was the observation of the most accomplished and fascinating 

 writer on local natural history that England has ever seen, that if 

 the natural productions of each district had their local historian, 

 our knowledge of the natural history of the country would 

 become more perfect than by any other means; and every one 

 knows how beautifully and how perfectly the author of that sen- 

 timent carried it into practice. It is indeed the only means by 

 which this end can be obtained ; and it is therefore with much 

 pleasure that I advert to the numerous local institutions, now 

 springing up in various directions, in some instances in connexion 

 with mechanics' institutes, with schools, or other establishments 

 for the education or instruction of the middle classes, the principal 

 design of which is to allocate in a provincial museum the natural 

 products of the county or of a more circumscribed district, and 

 frequently associated with a collection of local antiquities. I have 

 thought it might be useful to point out some circumstances which 

 would conduce to the proper design of such institutions, and at 

 the same time render them the means of greatly extending our 

 acquaintance with indigenous zoology and botany. The primary 

 object then of these institutions should be the collection and pre- 

 servation of the animals, plants, and palaeontological specimens 

 which are found m jfche district ; and to this should be added a 

 full and accurate record of their habitats and of any other inter- 



