29 



what it is, and its association witli the Will-o'-the-Wisp either not 

 recoojnised or ridiculed. 



Now, ladies and gentlemen, it only remains for me to express 

 once more my deep appreciation of the honour you have done me 

 in adding my name to the list of names famous in the annals of 

 Natural History that forms our list of Past Presidents. Allow me 

 to thank you very sincerely, and especially the officers and Council 

 who have so warmly supported me during my two years of office. 

 In some respects they have been rather heavy years, but with their 

 sage counsel and advice, and the heartiness with which they have 

 thrown themselves into the woik that has had to be done, we have 

 I think, managed to keep fairly well abreast of the flood. 



It is now my pleasant duty to oft'er a very hearty welcome to my 

 successor in office, Mr. E. J. Bunnett. In your new President you 

 have chosen a man with a wide range of mterests and attainments 

 in Natural History subjects ; and I feel that under his Presidency 

 the Society can look forward with confidence to a continuation of 

 its fifty years of prosperity. 



It is with very great regret that I find that I am not able to be 

 with you to-night, and have to fall back once more upon the kindly 

 offices of friends m the reading of this address. The reading of 

 another person's paper is not one of the easiest or most satisfactory 

 of undertakings ; and to take advantage of a temporary epidemic 

 seems rather a mean way of shuffling off my final duties on to other 

 people's shoulders. The position in fact may perhaps be para- 

 phrased somewhat as follows : — 



It seems a shame, the Chairman wrote, 

 To play them such a trick. 



After they've brought me on so far 

 And helped through thin and thick. 



The Audience said nothing but 

 " We don't believe he's sick." 



