6 
remember the paper read on that evening ; it was by our late friend, 
Mr. Peek, and of course about a fish. It was the custom then to 
enter upon the minutes the names of those who attended the meetings, 
and of the seventeen who were present on that evening I believe only 
five are now living. The first impression I got of the Society turned out 
to be a correct one, namely, that it was composed mainly of gentlemen 
who, although busily employed in the various occupations of life, had a 
great love for the investigation of some one or other branch of Natural 
History, and were desirous as far as they were able to cultivate the 
study, but whoat the same time felt that their knowledge was of such 
a kind that it was wiser and better that they should confine their 
utterances to the comparative privacy of the Society rather than pose 
before the town as authorities in their particular studies. The Society 
was in a very active and healthy state during the first year of my 
membership ; seven papers were read, two of which were written by 
our friend, Mr. C. P. Smith. The remaining writers have passed 
away. Amongst them appears the late Mr. Robertson, a gentleman 
whom many of you will remember as one who, whilst he worked 
steadily for the Society, was, somehow or other, always in difference. 
He was a most useful member because he so often had objections and 
was accustomed to state them in remarkably strong language, and yet 
with it all he was a genuine favourite. One of the papers was by our 
late friend, Mr. Wonfor, and was the first, I believe, in which he intro- 
duced his theory that the male in Lepidoptera had scales, unlike the 
females. Many of youare aware that he worked upon that subject 
for many years, and he claimed to have established the theory as a 
fact, and as one of his most important works in Natural History. 
Besides the papers read there were the usual field excursions, which 
appear to have been somewhat thinly attended, and we also had our 
annual excursion to Rotherfield and Crowborough, dining at Uckfield. 
It was during this year that the question arose as to the earliest age at 
which persons should be admitted members of the Society. The 
matter was settled then by fixing the time at 20 years. There was, 
however, a numerous party who thought the age too high, and who 
wished to encourage youths to join us, and in a few years (1871) the age 
was lowered to 17. Newrules were framed during this year, and they 
have formed the basis of all subsequent rules until we come to those 
adopted last year. In all the various rules the management of the 
Society has been entrusted to the Committee, and although some of 
our more democratic friends may think this somewhat narrow, there 
is no doubt in my own mind that the affairs of the Society have been 
managed much better in this way than they would have been bya 
more popular mode. During this year (1869) out ‘of a gross income of 
£53 10s. 8d., the large sum of £29 5s. was spent in new books and 
periodicals. At that time avery useful practice prevailed ; the current 
periodicals were placed upon the table on the usual monthly nights, 
and we each had an opportunity of looking over their tables of contents 
and seeing whether there was any subject which we wished particularly 
to read about. 
es 
"eed 
