16 president's address. 



Let us now turn oar attention to the future, and see what lies 

 before us to be done. I find that at the first general meeting of 

 the Club, in May, 184G, there was passed a resolution — "That 

 collections of specimens of the Natural History of the district 

 be formed, and placed, with the consent of the Natural History 

 Society, in their Museum ; and that such collections shall become 

 the property of that Society. Further, that the Club undertake 

 the formation and publication of correct lists of all the natural 

 productions of the district, with such observations as their authors 

 may deem necessary. Also, that a succinct account of the Geology 

 of the district be formed." 



The collections contemplated have not yet been systematically 

 begun. In the Animal Kingdom, the Catalogue of the Vertebrata 

 is still wanting, but that of the Mollusca, by Mr. Alder, has been 

 for some time in print. Then, as Messrs. Hardy and Bold's list 

 will only comprise Insects, the remaining classes of the Articulata 

 require to be taken in hand. The list of Radiata, also, is not yet 

 drawn out. It is also desirable that some investigation of the 

 Infusoria should be commenced, an important group of microscopic 

 organisms, which are now being partitioned out as germs of Vege- 

 table or animal existences, or classed as complete forms among the 

 lovver sub-kino;doms of the animal scale. 



To Mr. Storey the list of plants has been confided, and already 

 a large amount of time and labour expended, has enabled him to 

 make good progress in its formation. 



It is matter of great regret, that whilst our local systematic 

 Botany has been fast advancing towards its culminating point, the 

 now highly important sciences of Botanical Anatomy and Physio- 

 logy should have found in our Club only a very small number of 

 cultivators. Let us confidently anticipate that at the end of our 

 second Lustrum the number will be found largely increased. 



The Permian system, of Murchison, is the only part of the 

 Geology of our district which has been described at length. 



Unquestionably the fossil Flora — too much neglected since the 

 publication of Lindley and Button's work in 1831-37 — and the 

 fossil Fauna, too, though less rich, will yield a plentiful geological 

 harvest. 



