xlii Proceedings. 
difference, that the extension lecturers, unlike our own mem- 
bers, cater for the young, and then there is the examination 
at the end of the course, which has attractions for the young. 
The result of this is that the young man or young woman 
passing these examinations is very apt to consider that they 
know everything about the subject, and consequently do not 
care to join a society which, rightly or wrongly (I think 
rightly), considers that no one can know too much about a 
subject, and that a person’s education is not finished until he 
is dead. 
The stress of modern life has also something to do with this 
decline, for after a hard day’s work one does not willingly turn 
out in the evening. As, however, one gets on in life, and other 
interests grow around us, then perhaps he or she will join the 
natural history society, if it is still in existence. 
It is this competition from the University Extension lectures, 
and also to a certain degree from the new technical schools and 
colleges, which is injuring the natural history societies, and 
which has already destroyed several of them. 
It is easy to state all this, but it is difficult to find a cure, 
though I cannot help thinking that perhaps the remedy is closer 
at hand than we are aware of. There are three points that I 
wish to emphasize more especially, and they are :— 
1. The most important of all, viz. the incorporation of the 
Society under the Companies Acts as a scientific society. I put 
this first of all because, as you are all well aware, that if any- 
thing happens to a company and it has to go into liquidation, 
the shareholders are only liable for the uncalled portion of their 
shares. As you know, our Society is not incorporated, and 
consequently if anything went wrong, and the Society was dis- 
solved owing any debt, this debt could be recovered from the 
members existing at the time of the dissolution. If it was 
incorporated as a scientific society, in which there are no share- 
holders, if anything happened the property belonging to the 
Society would only be liable, and not the individual members. 
This is one great advantage of incorporation. Another is the 
advantage of sueing and being sued. This power would enable 
our Treasurer to recover the subscriptions at law, a power which 
is most valuable to possess, though of course it must be sparingly 
exercised. I may mention as a fact that all the great societies 
make use of this power. The advantage of being sued is not 
perhaps so great, but still the advantage to a creditor having 
the Society to sue, and not any individual member or mem- 
bers, is very advantageous both to the creditor and to the 
members. I say nothing as to the added dignity of incorpora- 
tion, for this is obvions to anyone who considers the subject 
carefully. With reference to the cost of incorporation, I have 
