8 ADDRESS ON 



will, I venture to think, be found embodied in the concluding 

 words of this paragraph — " among its members." 



Work of an exclusively original nature scarcely comes within 

 our scope, and is perhaps better fitted to find publicity in the 

 records of our learned societies ; and from the majority of our 

 members such work is perhaps scarcely to be expected. We find, 

 accordingly, that a considerable proportion of the Notes in our 

 Note-Books are evidently intended by the writers for the informa- 

 tion of their fellow workers, who may not, perhaps, have the time 

 or opportunity to look up works of reference for themselves. 

 Far be it from me to deprecate a practice from which I have 

 myself so frequently derived pleasure and instruction, or to do 

 otherwise than recognise, that by this means the objects of the 

 Society are largely fulfilled. Still, I think that where adequate 

 study has been made of the subject, there will always occur, as 

 indeed there frequently do occur, observations of an original 

 nature not necessarily of scientific value, but such as must 

 greatly increase the interest with which the communications are 

 likely to be read, something beyond what we may expect to find 

 even in the best books of reference; such observations, I may add, 

 make the subject in some sense the author's own. While gladly 

 recognising the extent to which these attributes are found in the 

 work of many of our members, and the excellence of the 

 illustrations with which they are frequently adorned, I take this 

 opportunity of indicating one direction in which I venture to 

 think improvement is still possible. 



I have drawn up and annexed a classified list of the various 

 subjects treated of in the Note-Books, and shall content myself 

 here with mentioning a few which seem specially worthy of notice. 



I think it will scarcely admit of question that the notes 

 and illustrations of Messrs. Elcock and Malcomson on the 

 Foraminifera must claim the first place in any notice of the work 

 of our Society. From the former of these gentlemen we have 

 six communications on this subject, containing full and most 

 interesting details on the species treated of, and forming a 

 valuable introduction to the study of these beautiful forms of 

 lowly organised existence, especially to those of us who were able 

 to give them careful attention in connection with the slides. The 



