248 Nature Study. [Sess. 
cave men? We can hardly doubt it. And man is the only 
animal which can alter by foresight the destiny of his race. 
Karl Pearson (‘The Chances of Death’) gives us good ground 
for believing that human society is recruited chiefly from its 
inferior members. ‘That is a depressing thought. By taking 
counsel together could we not do something to improve that 
immortal part of us which has been called posterity? That 
would be the ideal imperialism—to create a better race. 
There is only one other thing I would say here. We 
all at some period of our lives, when sorrow comes and 
when misfortune overtakes us,—we all need solace and 
sympathy; and the love of nature—an outcome of nature 
study—will do much to help us in these hours of gloom. 
I did not read over what I had written until I had 
reached this point, and when I did do so I felt a good 
deal disappointed. I had tried to explain much that all 
real field naturalists know sub-consciously—‘“ The impulse — 
of the vernal woods,’— 
“ Or to what uses shall we put 
The wild-weed flower that simply blows ; 
And is there any moral hid 
Within the bosom of the rose ?” 
I have not escaped the influence of the spirit of the time, — 
and I fear I have tried unintentionally to measure spiritual 
things by the common standards of commercial value, and — 
with the usual disappointing results. ¥ 
And now I must conclude by making a few remarks about — 
some matters which more particularly concern this Society, 
Two or three years ago the Society began to offer an annual — 
prize for the encouragement of the study of local natural 2 
history. It is an experiment, and whether it will accomplish — 
its object remains to be seen. The intention was to encourage — 
our members to nature study by taking up some small field of — 
it—for example, fresh-water alge, water-fleas, lichens, minute — 
life in fissures, and so on. ‘The subject is changed from year 
to year. It is to be hoped that our members who undertake — 
these special studies will by their co-operation do much to help 
other members in nature study. If we and similar societies — 
could get a number of our members to become specialists 
a 
