DUBLIN UNIVERSITY ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL ASSOCIATION. 209 



such as few others have done so extensively, yet those who knew him 

 best were conscious that he scarcely accomplished a tithe of what he was 

 capable of doing, and what he had designed to do. His conceptions of 

 most subjects were full and just,] and, if wrought out at the time, his 

 objects were generally effected ; but interruptions too frequently dis- 

 turbed him — procrastination followed — and thus, from one cause or 

 another, much for which he had made large preparation, was left un- 

 done. And thus his memory may suffer with the world, which judges 

 men frequently not by what they really were, but by what accidental 

 circumstances have made them. 



We, who knew Dr. Ball intimately, will judge him differently, and 

 must continue to cherish his memory with warmer feelings. He was the 

 founder and first President of this Association. To him it owes the po* 

 sition it holds in College, and to his influence with the Board are we 

 indebted for most of the privileges we enjoy. His attendance at our 

 meetings was constant ; and he was ever most anxious to extend our 

 studies, and make them useful to ourselves as students, and to science 

 in general. We shall, therefore, best fulfil our duty to his memory, if, 

 as members of an Association for the promotion of Natural History, we 

 endeavour, each in his several department, to keep up the spirit of our 

 meetings by bringing forward records of observations and discoveries, 

 and making our proceedings, annually printed, the receptacle of new 

 and useful information. 



To such of our Members who have quitted our College t walls, and 

 flown to distant regions of this world, a wide field is open. Let them 

 but spend a few minutes of their leisure in following up the pursuits 

 that they loved here ; let them send home specimens to fill up the many 

 blanks in our University collection, and notes on these specimens to in- 

 terest and instruct us at our Evening Meetings ; and they will add their 

 knowledge, like gentle tributaries, to swell the rapidly increasing river 

 of Natural Science. Canada and Ceylon, St. Helena, and many other 

 places, number among their inhabitants members of our Alma Mater, 

 who might do great things for us. 



I would for one moment revert to a new feature in our proceedings 

 for this year. I allude to our open-air meetings. The first of these 

 consisted of a visit to Powerscourt Demesne, which was liberally thrown 

 open to us by the courtesy of Lord Eoden. Not a cloud came to cast a 

 shadow over our sky, and we spent the day right pleasantly.* 



The next excursion was to Howth, and, although the day was not 

 as fine as on the previous excursion, yet it passed off most agreeably too. 



* We would except the ignorant and stupid conduct of Thomas, the gate-keeper of the 

 entrance to the Waterfall, who insisted that his Lordship's order to admit the Members 

 of the Association to the whole of the demesne did not allow us the privilege of entering 

 the Deer Park, and obstinately refused to listen to any reason ; nor would he admit us 

 until, after the lapse of some hours, an order happily obtained from a head official proved 

 more potent than the one we possessed from the noble Lord. — Hon. Srccs., D.U.Z. & B.A. 



