4 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



and method, and but rarely does much ; did he know how to be happy, 

 he would take up some scientific pursuit. 



Professor Bell quotes Bacon, who says, " the most active and busy 

 men that hath been, or can be, hath, no question, many vacant times 

 of leisure." How should these times be passed? Professor Bell goes 

 on to show to what advantage they may be employed by the divine, the 

 physician, and the lawyer, and has given excellent examples. 



During our recess I have received several communications on sub- 

 jects of natural history. A letter from our member, the Hon. G. S. 

 Gough, mentions, that his cousin, Mr. Percy Gough, shot a Pastor roseus 

 at Rathronan on the 27th of July last, and he wishes me, as I now do, 

 to communicate the fact to the Association. 



Mr. Robert Hime, of Bally donaren House, presented to the Museum 

 the fine specimen now on the table, shot in July in Wicklow ; and Mr. 

 Bridgford, the eminent horticulturist, told me that he shot one near 

 Dublin about the same time. 



To show you that it is not necessary to be technical to write intel- 

 ligibly on natural history subjects, I will read an extract of a letter from 

 Mr. R. Taylor of Kenmare : — 



" I would beg to inquire what may be the name of a bird now before me, of which 

 the following, though an unscientific description, may, perhaps, be sufficiently distin- 

 guishing. It is in size and shape like the common wild duck, except that it is some- 

 thing smaller, the neck something shorter in proportion, and the breast rather flatter. 

 It has no brightness or beautiful colour whatever in any part of its plumage, which may, 

 perhaps, properly be compared to the colour of whalebone ; darkest on the upper part of 

 the head, brighter on the back, and lightest on the under parts of the bird ; on the breast 

 intermingled with dirty white. Its bill is that of the duck kind in form, its colour a 

 heavy black, but having two rows of remarkable serratures on each side of each man- 

 dible. On the underneath part of the lower mandible is a depressed mark of an arrow- 

 head. The tongue seems formed of two distinct and widely separated muscles, the skin 

 covering hardening towards the tip, and projecting thence, thin, flat, and sharp. The 

 tail is short and pointed. The legs are flatter than those of any of the duck kind that I 

 have observed, the better adapted for passing through the water; and the feet, when used 

 in passing forward, fold much flatter. It has a small toe behind, webbed, like the seed 

 of a plant. The colour of the legs are yellowish black, the claws are most yellow between 

 the joints, and the webbing of the foot is black. 



" It was shot on the sea ; muscles were found in its throat ; how it had got these out 

 of the shells appeared surprising. 



11 Should you not have seen this or other rare birds here, which, with your permission, 

 I would describe, it would stimulate me to use my best exertions to procure specimens." 



In this he clearly expresses his meaning, and there can be no diffi- 

 culty in identifying his bird as a black scoter duck. 



In my Address last year I spoke of a large number of subjects, and 

 though I did not exhaust any one of them, it would be rather tautolo- 

 gical to go over the same ground. I must, therefore, refer our young 

 members to the notes of this Address in the first Number of the " Natural 

 History Review" for this current year (Proceedings, vol. iii., p. 1, &c), 

 with a view that they may be informed of the constitution, objects, and 

 advantages of our Association. In mentioning the " Natural History 

 Review," the organ of the Association, edited by some of its officers, I 

 may state, that they have opened communication, and exchange publica- 



