180 LETTEK IKOM NEW BASFORD. 



Treasurer. But, you may say, you did not get all tliat by your penny sub- 

 scription ? To that I answer no ; we have had two exhibitions ; the first, at 

 Christmas, 1853 ; the second, at Christmas, 1854. The exhibition consisted of 

 111 cases of Birds; one case of Butterflies, with their names to each, — in all, 

 fifty-six species; forty cases, about two feet square, of Moths, Flies, Beetles, 

 &c , in different designs, to form pictures ; one case of Spiders ; four of 

 Beetles ; three of Eggs ; and a few animals ; all belonging to the different 

 members. To the scientific, we could not show much classification, having 

 but one case of Flies for them ; but it was not them, but the public, that we 

 wanted to enlist ; and if we had had all our collection of insects set out in 

 proper classes, they would not have produced the effect that was produced 

 by the pictures ; although I admit that a proper classification is quite essen- 

 tial, and I hope by another year we shall have a cabinet, and all the insects 

 classed that we are in possession of By the tw^o exhibitions we cleared 

 some ^9.; but it was not so much to make money, as to induce working men 

 to join the society; and it has had the desired effect. And what recreation 

 can be more healthy, or interesting, than the study of Nature ? And if there 

 is any means whereby the working man can be helped, let every one that 

 can, come forward ; and by that means there wi^l be a reform in society : let 

 cards and dominoes be exchanged for the net and insect box ; the tap-room 

 for the fields and meadows ; and then see what a change will come over him. 

 Nature has new charms ; every step he takes, something more wonderful 

 presents itself; and thus he becomes a child of Nature. 



I should like to hear of working men in other towns forming Natural 

 History Societies, and keeping up a correspondence with each other ; and by 

 these means we should be able to know what each could collect ; for what is 

 rare in one place is plentiful in another ; so, by mutually exchanging with 

 each other, we should then be able to form a very good collection at a very 

 small cost, — for, as woi-king men, we could not send out a collector, nor yet 

 buy many at a time, — so that it would take a society a long time if they had 

 to buy all the specimens they could not take themselves, either Birds or 

 Insects ; so that they must be like us, and begin with the Pictures first. 



New Basford, near Nottingham, March \%thy 1855. J. morley. 



It is with great pleasure we insert the above letter. We heartily wish 

 every town in the country had a Natural History Society among its working 

 men. We sincerely sympathize with Mr. Morley in his wish, that English 

 names were more frequently added to descriptions of objects of Natural 

 History ; and the whole study simplified by using plain English, whenever 

 practicable. We know of no case in which the exclusive use of Latin in scien- 

 tific works is of any advantage ; and, in thousands of instances, it is an 

 clFectual bar to the use of the volume ; and where (he book is, in itself, valu- 

 able, this is the more to be regiettcd. — B. R. M. 



