THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 35 



Assets. 



Balance in hand ... 



Arrears of Subscriptions (^37 4s.), say 



Library and Furniture 



Liabilities. 

 Outstanding Accounts ... ... ... ... Nil. 



The financial statement having been received, it was favourably 

 commented upon by Messrs. G. A. Keartland and D. Best, the 

 latter stating that the Club was greatly indebted to Mr. Haase 

 for the careful manner in which he had carried out the duties of 

 hon. treasurer, and which reflected great credit on him. On the 

 motion of Messrs. H. T. Tisdall and W. Stickland the statement 

 was adopted. 



president's address. 



The president, Mr. O. A. Sayce, then delivered the following 

 address : — 



" Ladies and Gentlemen, — In thinking of a subject for a 

 presidential address, which you have done me the honour of 

 requiring of me, I have desired that I might make it of practical 

 everyday value — at least, to the growing numbers of young or 

 inexperienced naturalists who fortunately are continually joining 

 our ranks. I realize that few of our numbers have been grounded 

 in a systematic training in the natural sciences, and that most, 

 perforce of circumstances, make the study of natural history but 

 an incident in a busy life ; the opportunity for field or laboratory 

 work is often intermittent with them, and such are apt to think 

 that they cannot be of any real value to others than themselves, 

 nor do they feel the stimulus which helping to further scientific 

 knowledge brings. He who looks on nature with the sole end of 

 gaining interest from it for himself alone is scarcely one to 

 be esteemed by his fellow-men, nor is his interest likely to be 

 maintained. 



" Our responsibility, as an association of naturalists, is to help, 

 and inspire if possible, all those who come amongst us, and it has 

 seemed to me that I could not do better than point out some 

 work of importance that- could be done by anyone with sufficient 

 interest and application to do it. Hence I have chosen to speak 

 briefly on 



" The Collecting of Natural History Specimens. 



" There are at least two widely different kinds of collectors — 

 one who collects only such objects that may appear of interest to 

 him because of their form, size, or colouration, and judges each 

 in the light of its own apparent merit, apart from its place in 



