ADDEESS BY THE PRESIDEJ<'T. 6 



history of •whose life and career has been so admirably written by 

 Mr. Smiles. Other naturalists of the same class have not been 

 inferior to Edward in zeal and energy ; but they wanted a bio- 

 grapher to make them famous. Tlie knowledge of natural history 

 cannot be greater in those who are " in populous cities pent " than 

 in country folk. Even the farm-labourer, who is usually, but 

 wrongly, despised for what is called his Boeotian stupidity, could 

 tell us much more than town folk abovit wild animals and plants. 

 Such studies offer just now an especial attraction by diverting 

 men's minds from the cares and worries incident to the "bad 

 times." A similar remedy — that of literary work — was prescribed 

 long ago by Cicero in his oration for the poet Archias. But I 

 venture to give a gentle hint to the ladies also. Don't ignore 

 knowledge, nor be ashamed of using the intellect and faculties 

 which God has entrusted to you. Don't be "know nothings," or 

 thus adopt the name of that dangerous and troublesome sect in the 

 United States, although you may be plotters in some harmless way. 

 Don't say, " Oh ! I am not scientific," either from horror at being 

 considered a "blue-stocking," or from hugging yourself with the 

 consciousness of possessing some recondite virtue. 



I hope I shall not be thought very fanciful if I advise my brother- 

 naturalists to be moderate in their captures of animals and plants. 

 Shakspere's poetical idea of the pang felt by the poor beetle when 

 trodden on, may, after all, be founded in truth, notwithstanding 

 the opinion of the late George Henry Lewes that animals having a 

 low degree of organization do not suffer pain. And we are not 

 quite sure that the beautiful myth of the ancient Greeks, ever 

 sympathising with external nature, as to the Hamadiyads, or wood- 

 nymphs, who were united so closely, each to her tree, that they 

 sprung up and died with it, may not have had a similar foundation. 

 We know that the sarcode of animals and the parenchyma of plants 

 (both now called protoplasm), form the basis or substructure of all 

 animal and vegetable organisms, and are of the same nature ; and 

 as most organisms have nerves, it is not unreasonable to suppose 

 that they feel some kind of physical pain like that which is ap- 

 parently exhibited by insects and the sensitive plant. "We cannot 

 ascertain this for a certainty by making our own metamorphosis 

 and turning into other animals, or becoming trees, whatever may 

 have been our descent or the original course of our evolution. 



It now only remains for me to mention that the number of our 

 members was at the close of last year 170, and is now 210 ;* and 



* Viz. honorary members 12, and ordinary members 198, of whom 32 are 

 ladies. Of the ordinary members 23, including 3 ladies, are life members. 



