THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 47 



but the paragraph should be written by the exhibitor, for both 

 the secretary and the editor have quite enough work to do as it 

 is, and the exhibitor should know what points he wishes to draw 

 attention to. 



" There is one other point that I should like to enlarge upon, 

 and that is the strange way in which the study of many divisions 

 of both our fauna and flora is being neglected. There is always 

 in all societies a tendency for members to crowd on to one par- 

 ticular branch, and we can illustrate the tendency from our own 

 history. Once the members were all for orchids ; later on there 

 was an attack of microscopic fever, and now the air is full of 

 feathers. There is, undoubtedly, an advantage in a combination 

 of forces to carry a position, and I should be the last to ask any- 

 one to throw up his favourite study, in which he was perhaps 

 either doing, or capable of doing, sound work. But there is a 

 danger to the other members, who are, after all, but human. 

 When a large body of investigators is interested in a subject every 

 small fact that is new, or appears to be new, is eagerly seized 

 upon and recorded. Facts in other branches of science, equally 

 as important — for all facts are important — may be noted by the 

 solitary worker, and because he does not find the bulk of the 

 members interested he lets the thing go. It is very wrong of 

 him, and he must be remonstrated with. 



" As field naturalists our first aim should be the study of living 

 animals and plants. As it is necessary for us to communicate 

 our results, the first thing we have to do is to attach a label to 

 all ' the little things we care about.' You know the first piece of 

 human work on record was the naming of species. Man has 

 been at it ever since, but the end is not yet. There is still 

 abundance of work awaiting the systematist. When we know 

 what names our species are to bear this usually means that we 

 know their position in the scale of life, and we can tell something 

 of their general structure and habits. But we must take nothing 

 for granted. We must prove all things, and it is often surprising 

 the discoveries that are made in the case of the commonest 

 objects. There are many groups in which our members are 

 interested of which we have a very good general knowledge. 

 We know what they are, where they are found, and something 

 about their habits ; but it is rather surprising the way in which 

 many are almost entirely neglected. The harvest is crying out 

 for labourers, and why are more not forthcoming ? Everyone 

 can add a stone to the cairn of knowledge. You have heard that 

 so often that perhaps it does not come home to you. But I wish 

 every member of the Club to realize that he or she can, if 

 desirous, find out something that no one else knows. Find it out, 

 then, and tell it to us. We will hearken gladly. Mere collecting 

 and storing up in boxes or cabinets is useless, dead and unprofit- 

 able. Collect less and study more. It does not matter how 



