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that vicinity a statement of the case should be made to the Hon. Major Hill, with 

 a request to hiui to do what might lie in his power towards checking further 

 depredation. It gave me much pleasure to accede to Mr. Lloyd's most well timed 

 proposal, and the reply I received from Major Hill assured me of that gentleman's 

 complete willingness to carry out our views. I have since been much gratified to 

 learn that our action has been entirely successful, and that the beautiful fern is 

 suffered to grow in peace and free from the devastating hand of the ignorant. 

 Now it occurs to me to ask whether, seeing that in this particular instance the 

 wise notice of a single member has resulted in such a signal benefit to the lovers of 

 wild nature, a good deal more might not be done in this direction if members of 

 the Club generally would exercise similar notice and a similar discretion. The 

 destruction of wild birds, (almost, in the case of some species, to their extinction), 

 is a matter which already has come much before the public eye. But I observe, 

 what to me is almost equally lamentable, the rapidly increasing tendency within the 

 few last years, and which is this year more marked than ever, of denuding our fields, 

 and woods and hedgerows, of their wild flowers, primroses, daffodils, and so on, 

 for the purpose of selling them in the larger towns, in many instances the plants 

 themselves being uprooted. It seems hard to deny the town dweller the sight of 

 what is so beautiful. But there is moderation in all things ; and I cannot quite 

 believe in all the waggon loads of spring flowers that now find their way from our 

 country districts, even before they are thoroughly fullblown, being destined to 

 cheer the dwellings of the poor, or those who most want the cheering of their 

 brightness, I shall not be suspected of offering any opmion on the merits or 

 demerits of a certain political league. But I own to wishing it had assumed some 

 other title than that of " Primrose '" when I see yards and yards of tall house fronts 

 in large towns, covered with bushels upon bushels of the lovely little denizens of our 

 rural lanes, for the trivial purpose of a one day's show. So out of place do they 

 seem ; and so pitiable to see them withering and dying almost as soon as they are set 

 up. I do not know what might be done to stay the spoliation that I refer to, but 

 something might be done I think ; and if anything could, I think it should be 

 done. For, I may be wrong but, it seems to me that such wholesale ravages, 

 continued year by year, cannot fail to be harmful, or eventually destructive, to 

 the plants. Owners of property might well be induced to do something to protect 

 them. In this connection I would bring under your notice a Society called " The 

 Selborne Society." Its title to the Naturalist's ear probably suggests its objects, 

 namely, to "preserve birds of beautiful plumage" (this is especially directed 

 against the senseless fashion of adorning ladies' hats and bonnets with their 

 feathers) "rare and useful birds, plants, and pleasant places." The Society 

 works under very influential patronage, both of ladies and gentlemen, and seems 

 to me one that may well be made more widely known, and be more largely 

 supported ; while, as the lowest subscrijition is one shilling, though the more 

 usual one is half-a-crown, to support it cannot be described as ruinous. In the 

 paper which I have, though that is not of very recent date, the name of the 

 secretary is given as G. A. Musgrave, Esq., 45, Holland Park, London, W. 



I ventured in my last address from tliis ebair to hint at some kind of 



