100 Tlie President's Address. 



As this is only our first year, however, it is perhaps better 

 that I should draw more attention to the general work of the 

 Club, in order to show to what extent we have striven to 

 carry out our objects, and how far we have been successful. 



As already stated in the Eeport of the Council, we have 

 held eleven Ordinary Meetings and seven Field Meetings 

 during the year. Although our Ordinary Monthly Meetings 

 have been on the whole well supported, we have thought 

 it desirable to diminish their number this present session, 

 in order to increase our chance of securing good attendances 

 throughout the year, and no Ordinary Meetings will be held 

 during the months of June, July, and August. By this 

 means we hope to concentrate the energy of twelve meet- 

 ings into nine, and in order to make further sure of keeping 

 alive the interest of our members, the Council has decided 

 that each meeting shall be announced by a special notice, 

 so that members may be made acquainted beforehand with 

 the subjects which authors or exhibitors propose bringing 

 forward. For the carrying out of this plan we are entirely 

 dependent upon our members, and it is earnestly requested 

 that notice will be given to the Secretary of any paper that 

 is to be read, or any exhibition that is to be made, at least 

 ten days previous to the meeting. 



Of the numerous subjects brought forward and discussed 

 during the past year, it is not my intention to give a 

 detailed account, as our ''Proceedings" containing full 

 reports of the meetings are now in your hands. For maintain- 

 ing the interest of these meetings, the Club is very much 

 indebted to our indefatigable Honorary Secretary, Mr. 

 William Cole, and to our members Mr. E. M. Christy, Mr. 

 James English, and others. Mr. Henry Walker's interest- 

 ing lecture on ''A Day's Elephant Hunting in Essex" 

 formed the first part of our '' Transactions " published in 

 September. Among the discussions raised, one of the most 

 suggestive appears to me to be that which followed the 

 reading of Mr. Christy's note on the habits of the weasel 

 and stoat, at the March meeting, on which occasion I had 

 the pleasure of giving expression to some ideas which I 

 have long entertained with respect to the white colours of 



