I.— FIELD-NATURALISTS. 



By Mr A. B. HERBERT, President. 



{Read Nov. 27, 1884.) 



By your favour, I once more have the honour of appearing as Presi- 

 dent of your Club, and I have mtich pleasure in again congratu- 

 lating you on our continued prosperity. We were never so 

 numerous a body as at the present time, and we will hope that we 

 shall keep pace with the times in intellectual progress and develop- 

 ment. The principal innovation we have made during the past 

 year was the institution of winter meetings for microscopical work, 

 and it is gratifying to know that these meetings, under the able 

 presidency of Dr Macfarlane, so efficiently supported by many 

 other members, have been well attended and most successful. Our 

 summer excursions were also numerously attended and much 

 enjoyed. There is, as I trust there ever will be, one pre-eminent 

 characteristic of our Club — namely, the good-fellowship and un- 

 alloyed harmony prevailing amongst us, which I attribute in no 

 small degree to the humanising and genial influence we derive 

 from admitting lady members to the Club, some of whom are 

 excellent field-naturalists. 



By " field-naturalists," in the general acceptation of the term, 

 we understand those lovers of nature who take delight in observ- 

 ing the habits and instincts of animals, the beauties and varieties 

 of our flora, the formation and stratification of the rocks, and the 

 vast wonders of the mineral kingdom ; and we add also those 

 who, by the aid of the microscope, investigate the minute forms of 

 animal and vegetable life, and by careful scientific research eluci- 

 date many important discoveries. 



Some comprehensive minds acquire knowledge in many branches 

 of natural history, but the majority are content with taking up one 

 or two subjects, and making these a hobby or speciality, — and I 

 would here remark that a man who has no hobby in life connected 

 with objects of nature is, in my opinion, one not to be envied ; for 

 of what a large amount of pleasure and innocent gratification is he 

 not deprived in his daily walks or drives ! A wealthy manufacturer 

 recently told me that by sticking too closely to business in early life, 

 and not observing natural objects and occurrences around him, he 

 was convinced he had deprived himself of an endless amount of real 

 enjoyment. Half a century ago, a person seen gazing for any 



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