president's address. 37 



most precious gifts, is strongly exemplified in the formation of 

 the collection to which I now advert ; and it is certainly worthy 

 of the attention of this Society, and of every lover of Natural 

 History, to consider how it can be made available for more ex- 

 tensive and permanent use. I venture to make this allusion to 

 a private collection, without any previous concert with its much 

 esteemed possessor, because I am well aware that the opinion of 

 the very best authorities has stamped it with a character of 

 exactness, which, I would almost say, gives the public a reason- 

 able claim to expect ample facilities of deriving instruction and 

 amusement from its study. I need only, in the briefest terms, 

 allude to the extreme beauty and expressive character of this, I 

 believe, nearly perfect collection of British Ornithology ; and I 

 feel confident that the opinion I thus express will meet with the 

 entire approval of all who have had any opportunity of appreciat- 

 ing its excellence. 



The numerous Horticultural Societies which have, of late years, 

 been formed, are gratifying proofs of an increasing taste for the 

 attractive and ornamental departments of Botanical Science j 

 and I may mention, that by giving small prizes to young chil- 

 dren for collecting wild flowers and mosses, the Naturalist may 

 obtain specimens which would otherwise escape observation. I 

 have made this experiment for several years with great success, 

 and would strongly recommend it to others. 



With reference to this subject, I may also say, that, by a series 

 of good Botanical diagrams, an early taste for, and knowledge of 

 Botany, may be instilled generally into the minds of children. 

 Several years ago, I was surprised and gratified to find, in a 

 school of upwards of six hundred children, in Edinburgh — 

 nearly all of them the children of poor persons — a very consi- 

 derable knowledge, not only of the terms, but of many of the 

 useful applications of Botanical Science. The master showed me 

 a roll of coloured drawings, upwards of thirty feet in length, the 

 frequent inspection and explanation of which rendered them 

 familiar with so much detail as to lay a fair foundation for 

 further study ; and I have adopted a method, which I think even 

 superior to the above for use in schools — viz., by inserting, on 



