17 



disappear, and fall more or less into a state of torpidity or compara- 

 tive sleep. 



A suggestion has been made to me that the Club might with 

 great advantage increase the number of its members, and have six 

 field meetings in the course of the year. As regards the number of 

 members, I think, if occasion should require, the Club might 

 advantageously alter the rule which limits our Club to fifty mem- 

 bers, but I am not aware that at present we have any candidates 

 for admission to justify its alteration. If we increase the number 

 of our field days, I fear our meetings will not be so well attended 

 as they are at present, for if we look over the list of our members 

 we shall see that by far the larger portion has engagements which 

 have a prior claim on its attention, and can only make the study of 

 Natural Historj'^ an " employment for its idle time which is then 

 not idly spent ;" but I see no reason why those members, who have 

 leisure time, may not with great advantage to the Club, visit 

 localities which are now comparatively inaccessible to the Club as a 

 body, report the result of their discoveries to the field meetiugs,. 

 and thus extend our knowledge of the district. 



I cannot conclude without expressing to the members generally 

 my deep sense of the honour which they conferred on me in my 

 election as President of the Club, and tendering to them my sincere 

 thanks for the kind support and friendly aid which they have so 

 readily given me at the field meetings, and whenever I have had 

 occasion to seek for information during the past year. I resign my 

 office to my successor in the fullest confidence that the members 

 will heartily co-operate with him in an endeavour to make the 

 field meetings of the present year as attractive as possible, to 

 promote the objects of the Club, and to increase its prosperity. 



KICHAKD W. BANKS. 



7th Februai-y, 1861. 



