president's address. 11 



and of hours to feel and know that there are things higher and 

 better than those which so entirely engross you — threaten to crush 

 and destroy the nobler and better faculties of your souls." 



The Botanical Gazette, for the present month, contains the fol- 

 lowing notice of our Transactions. " The present part concludes 

 the 1st vol. of these Transactions, which contain Papers of a high 

 character. There is little in this portion relating to Botany, almost 

 all the memoirs being Zoological, still, in a sketch of the doings 

 of the past year, we see that the botanical members are not inactive; 

 and we have but to repeat the good wishes we have expressed 

 towards the Club on a former occasion, and again to hold it up as 

 an example to Naturalists in other parts of the country." 



The Phytologist, for February last, compliments the Club by 

 claiming to be " the first periodical that invited the attention of 

 Naturalists to the published Transactions of this energetic and 

 praiseworthy band of Naturalists, and, at the same time, ventured 

 to hold up the example to observers in other parts of the country, 

 and to express his humble opinion that it was worthy of all 

 imitation." 



In these extracts, and I will not recall past eulogies which have 

 been reported to you on each anniversary, we find sufficient evi- 

 dence that the labours of the Club have not been devoid of value ; 

 sufficient assurance that they have not gone unappreciated ; and 

 sufficient stimulus to urge us on to more frequent and persevering, 

 and, therefore, it is to be hoped, more successful eff"orts in the 

 delightful study of those elevating sciences, which we are banded 

 together to cultivate. Let us endeavour that the high and spon- 

 taneous encomiums bestowed upon our first, be better merited in 

 every succeeding volume. 



But, Gentlemen, let us apply another and more searching test 

 to our Acta. How far have we really carried the landmarks of 

 our local science beyond their old position 1 How many species 

 of living animals and plants have we added to the lists of five 

 years ago ? What geological or antiquarian discoveries have we 

 achieved % Through the kindness of my friends around, I am 

 enabled to give distinct categorical answers to those questions. 

 Animal Kingdom. — In the vertebrate Sub-Kingdom, no Mam- 



