THE ADDRESS 



Of the retiring President, Egbert Lightbody, Esq., 

 read before the Members of the Woolhope Naturalists' 

 Field Club, at their Annual Meeting, held in Hereford, 

 on Thursday, February 20th, 1862. 



Brother Members, — I am very much at a loss how to address 

 you on this occasion, as I feel strongly my incompetence to discharge 

 properly the duties of my position. It was very repugnant to my 

 feelings to assume the responsible post of your President, and I 

 was only induced to do so becaiise I felt that as a member of your 

 body, I was bound to take my share of its duties when called upon 

 by you. I trust, however, that in future you wUl be more fortunate 

 in selecting a leader who wiU be able to amuse and instruct you. 



In referring to the Field Meetings we have had during the past 

 year, I may express my regret that the first meeting at Ludlow was 

 so unfortunate in some of its circumstances. Though intended to 

 be a joint meeting of the Malvern Club and our own, our numbers 

 came very short of what might have been anticipated — principally 

 in consequence of the railway trains from and to Hereford not 

 suiting our arrangements, though we were entitled to expect that in 

 May the summer passenger traffic would have been commenced* 

 Another time, however, it would be well to have our first meeting 

 near Hereford so as to avoid this annoyance. 



Another point on which I would remark, is, that so few Members 

 of our Club are sufficiently interested in Geology (which I think is 

 our leading object), that it is hardly wise to make arrangements, 

 involving their passing a night from home, thereby incurring expen- 

 diture of both money and time which may not be convenient to 

 some of them. 



