174 president's address. 



have, in addition to those ah'eady enumerated, gathered near my 

 own district, in the south of Durham, during the past summer: — 

 Trollius Europceiis^ Orchis viridis, Orchis bifolia, var. minovy 

 Verbascum Thapsus, Cornus sanguinea., Genticma Amarella, Pyre- 

 thrum Parthenium^ Solamim nigrum, Ej)i2')cicfis palustris, Rosa 

 nrueiisis, R. mollis^ Fumaria capreolata, Piais echioides, Lactuca 

 virosa, Samolus Valerandi, Bupleurum rotuMlifolium, and Trifolium 

 arvense. The last three, viz., Cardamine amara, Thcdictrwn fia~ 

 vum, and Symphytum officinale, I have never before found among 

 the indigenous plants of that southern district. In Entomology 

 I have, during the same period, discovered nothing very rare ; I 

 only took a specimen of Necrophagus Vespillo, in June — an insect 

 never common in our locality. This, I conclude, was owing to 

 the last ungenial spring and summer ; nor have I seen any very 

 njicommon birds. A friend, however, told me he was at Whit- 

 burn in the first week of last July, when he saw a sj)ecimen of 

 the Rose-coloured Pastor (^Pastor roseus), which had then just 

 been shot near that village. 



Before I proceed to read to you an account of the meetings, and 

 actual workings of the Club, during the year of my Presidency, 

 I will, in allusion to the recent establishment of the Medical 

 Colleges in this large town, which are in some connexion with 

 the University of Durham, as their fostering Alma Mater, state 

 the great desirableness — nay, even necessity — of the Medical 

 Students being obliged, as a part of their course of education, to 

 attend Lectures on Natural History ; and no town, in the North 

 of England, can be more fitted for the purpose, seeing that it 

 possesses such a good and well-arranged Museum. 



Indeed, I rejoice to say, that several important branches of the 

 Natural Sciences are now being brought before the Students in 

 our more ancient Colleges and Universities, who will thus receive 

 opportunities of instruction and examination in them — of which, 

 I trust, many will avail themselves. 



Natural History I can safely recommend as, of all human stu- 

 dies, one of the most likely to elevate the mind, to improve the 

 moral nature, and to enlarge the intellectual faculties of young 

 men, especially the powers of oliservation and perception, and the 



