74 SPOLIA ZEYLANICA. 



the study of Natural History, more especially in the branches of 

 Botany, Zoology, and Geology, and the accumulation of such 

 observations as will lead to a more complete knowledge of the 

 Natural History of the Island, Those who were instrumental in 

 convening the inaugural meeting were of opinion that there was a 

 real need for such a society in Ceylon, and that it would bring 

 together a large number of individuals who were interested in the 

 subject, and who had made valuable observations in their own 

 fields, but who were perhaps diffident about approaching on the 

 subject those whom they regarded as experts, and of bringing them 

 in touch with those who were only too ready to give the results 

 of their training and experience. The isolated individual is always 

 at a disadvantage, more especially in such a subject as Natural 

 History, where accumulated data are of such great value, and 

 where an ounce of personal advice is worth a ton of information 

 from such books as are available, or comprehensible to the untrained 

 observer ; and further the trained expert, who gives his life's work to 

 the study, is also at a disadvantage, because he realizes the necessity 

 for many observations and much work, more than can possibly be 

 accomplished by the few. 



In the past, the organized study of Natural History in Ceylon has 

 been necessarily carried on by those who were definitely appointed 

 by Government for special work , or by those who were sufficiently 

 keen to surmount the initial difficulties of individual work. In the 

 history of the subject it is undoubtedly true that much of the best 

 work has been done by the amateur, who has had his interest aroused 

 by some natural phenomenon and has been thus led on to the 

 definite study of some branch of Natural History. But in many 

 cases where the individual has not become pre-eminent, or where he 

 has not been in touch with the other workers in the same branch, 

 his observations have been lost to the world at large. In some 

 cases the observer may be sufficiently aroused to write to the daily 

 papers on the subject of some observation ; but no permanent 

 record is thereby made in scientific literature, and most probably 

 the results of the work are lost, so far as future workers are concerned. 

 The Ceylon Natural History Society will provide an instrument 

 whereby such an occurrence is unhkely. Although at the outset it is 

 not the intention of the Society to publish its own periodical , members 

 will be able to lay their observations before the rest of the members of 

 the Society, and, further, will be encouraged to record their work in 

 the pages of Spolia Zeylanica, at present the only local pubHcation 

 dealing with the subject. As soon as the Society is in a position to 

 do so, it will produce its own periodical, which it is hoped will take 

 its place amongst the recognized literature of the subject. 



At such an early stage any Society must be in the position of an 

 infant, and must not attempt anything which is Hable to impair its 

 strength in the future. But, with such encouragement as the 



