12 



desirability of appointing a responsible Minister of State for 

 Science. 



It may be asked, How can this growth of scientific tastes 

 among the people be shown ? The reply to my mind is easily 

 given. 



The learned and scientific Societies of the Metropolis are con- 

 stantly increasing in number, and the Fellows and Members of the 

 old Societies are more numerous than ever. But there is' another 

 sign of healthy gi-owth of scientific thought throughout the 

 country, and that is the steady increase of local scientific societies 

 and field clubs. 



In one of the annual reports of this Society made not long ago, 

 you will find a statement that this was the only scientific society 

 on this side of the Thames within the Metropolitan district. Now 

 I find there are six such societies in existence ; one which has been 

 established since our report was written has about 250 members. 

 I believe our society stands next with about 150 members. The 

 other four have a less number. 



The local scientific societies throughout the country amount to 

 little short of 150; some of these have more than 500 members 

 on their registers. The societies which exceed this number in 

 membership are the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Liverpool 

 Naturalists' Field Club, Newcastle-on-Tyne Literary and Philoso- 

 phical, Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club, Leeds Philosophical and 

 Literary Society, and the Glasgow Philosophical Society. Many 

 others have more than 400 members, and a still greater number 

 have upwards of 300 members. 



Of these societies I find that since the year 1860, inclusive, 70 

 of them have been established ; and that prior to 1850 less than 

 50 of them were in existence. We may therefore say that within 

 the last quarter of a century the number of local scientific bodies 

 in this country has trebled. 



In our own county there are now four scientific societies, viz., 

 the West Kent, Mid-Kent, East Kent, and Folkestone Natural 

 History, &c.. Societies. The total number of members of these 

 four falls but little short of 500 — a very small per centage of the 

 population, but still a hopeful number, inasmuch as it is greater 

 than at any former period. 



Addressing as I am a local society, it is not necessary that I 

 should attempt a resume of the various scientific treatises which 



