1870.] NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 83 



memorable an occasion in the history of this society, there devolves 

 upon me a duty that could have been more worthily and ably 

 discharged by another — the pleasant duty of extending to you, 

 ladies and gentlemea, on behalf of the society, a very cordial 

 welcome to the entertainment we are enabled to offer you. I beg 

 to assure you that we experience a very high degree of gratifica- 

 tion in believing that your presence on this and other occasions is 

 intended to evince your sympathies with the objects of our society. 

 May we be permitted to hope that these sympathies will lead you 

 to become, instead of mere annual visitors, permanent, earnest co- 

 labourers with us. I at least propose in a few remarks on some 

 of the intellectual and utilitarian aspects of the study that engages 

 us here, to show you that we have some warrant for the invitation 

 we give you to labor with us in its great and glorious cause. 



In its most extended sense Natural Science means an investi. 

 gation into the laws governing, and the elements composing, the 

 whole of God's material works ; the heavens above, and the earth 

 beneath. The boundlessness of such a field of inquiry, I could 

 not on this occasion, more forcibly and, I trust, more appropria- 

 tely, impress on you, than by quoting the words of that excellent 

 and lamented Prince, whose like in respect to his extensive attain- 

 ments in literature and science, and his judicious and successful 

 efforts to promote them, Britain has never yet seen ; who, in his 

 life, afforded us a noble illustration of all that dignifies humanity, 

 and in his death, left us a precious example how the time and 

 talents Grod bestows on us may be most beneficially employed for 

 the best interests of mankind. Need I say I refer to Albert the 

 good ? These are his words addressed to the British Association 

 at Aberdeen, in 1859 : — 



" But in gaining new centres of light from which to direct our 

 researches, and new and powerful means of adding to its ever 

 increasing treasures, science approaches no nearer to the limits of 

 its range, although travelling further and further from its original 

 point of departure. For God's world is • infinite , and the 

 boundlessness of the universe, whose confines appear ever to 

 retreat before our finite minds, strikes us no less with awe when, 

 prying into the starry crowd of Heaven, we find new worlds 

 revealed to us by every increase of the telescope, than when the 

 microscope dicloses to us in a drop of water or an atom of dust 

 new worlds of life and animation, or the remains of such as have 

 passed away." 



