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diversion to the business of the evening took place in the presentation 
of aclock to Mr. J. C. Onions, one of the Honorary Secretaries. 
Mr. Hottis, addressing Mr Onions, said he had a very pleasing 
duty to perform, having been deputed to beg his acceptance of the 
very handsome clock before him, as a slight token of the esteem and 
the regard entertained by the members for the services he had rendered 
to the Society as one of its Honorary Secretaries. All knew that his 
office was no sinecure, and they had witnessed the tact and judgment 
displayed by him on all occasions, and especially in the arrangement 
for many years of the annual Excursions, which had afforded very 
great satisfaction to all who had attended them. He felt great pleasure 
in being their mouth-piece. Might he, by the blessing of God, be 
spared for many years, and, whenever he looked at the clock, might 
he call to mind the regard entertained fcr him by his fellow-members. 
Mr. Ontons, whose rising was greeted with continued applause, 
said : He thanked them very much for their kind expressions of regard, 
and for this mark of their esteem for the small services he had ren- 
dered to the Society, and which, he felt, were far outweighed by the 
benefits he had received as one of its members. He had sometimes 
thought he was out of place, as he had not been able, from knowing 
little of science, to contribute anything to the Society ; but he had a 
colleague who helped in the scientific department and left him the 
business part only to perform. He need hardly say he should look 
upon the clock as a mark of the kindness of the Society, and should, 
as long as he could be of service to the Society, do all he could to 
further its interests. They would pardon him if words were too feeble 
to convey what he felt for this their great kindness. 
Mr. Onrons sat down amid loud applause. 
The Clock, which bore the following inscription, ‘‘ Presented to 
J. Colbatch Onions, Esq., by the Members of the Brighton and 
Sussex Natural History Society, as a mark of their esteem and grati- 
tude for his services,” was a dining-room clock, with visible escape- 
ment, striking the hours and half-hours, and furnished with perpetual 
calendar, including day of the week, date of the month, month of the 
year, phases of the moon, and equation of time, the whole mounted in 
solid black marble case, and constructed for great durability and 
accurate time-keeping, by T. Boxell, 43, King’s Road, Brighton. 
