12 
Society, but I fear very much that there are not sufficient of us to 
undertake the work involved, and I am still more doubtful whether 
those who accompany us on such excursions would appreciate any 
such efforts. They have come to the pleasure excursions merely, 
and I fear they must remain so. I cannot help hoping that we may 
again revive our microscopic meetings, and that we may be able to put 
them on such a basis that they may not again become the ephemeral 
things they have been in the past. I know there are many diffi- 
culties in the way. I give place to no one in my love for microscopic 
work and studies, but I know how it was when I was practising my 
profession—no time was given me for any but the most desultory 
work, and as it was in me, so it is now in the large number of those 
who would otherwise gladly work at the microscope. Our soirées, 
too, have dropped out of our programme. I hope to see them revived, 
not, however, as annual things. It is quite impossible year after year 
to bring together sufficient new material to interest a large audience, 
and whenever they are renewed I hope it will be under conditions 
which will make them pay their way instead of being a heavy burden 
upon the Society’s finances. Their renewal will rest mainly 
with the members. As soon as they will bestir themselves and 
hunt up objects of interest for exhibition and take a considerable 
share in the work of preparation the thing can be done. Our 
Secretaries must not be left to do the whole of the work. I would 
venture to suggest that those members who are anxious to revive our 
soirées should form themselves into a Committee, and see what they can 
doin the way of obtaining scientific novelties for exhibition, and 
generally in getting up an interesting evening, and particularly in 
stirring up our own members to attend, and also to assist in interesting 
onr visitors. By some such means as these we may hope to gather in 
new recruits, especially among the young, and so increase our pleasure 
in and the usefulness of our Society. 
Tue BENEFITS OF THE SOCIETY. 
Some of you may ask, well, what has the Society really done during 
the last twenty years? I can only speak for myself. To me it has 
been invaluable. Its meetings have been sources of unalloyed plea- 
sures, one has constantiy met with kind friends and courteous 
helpers ; ignorance has been removed; narrow conceptions have 
been broadened ; the reasoning powers have been cultivated and 
strengthened ; and one has got nearer to the heart of that 
great mystery which Nature presents to the thoughtful 
man. It may seem odd to many of you, but I have no hesitation in 
saying that I have been a much wiser and better lawyer by reason of 
my having been a member of your Society than I should have been 
without such membership. I take it thatI have been a fair average 
member, and what it has been to me ithas been to most others who 
have interested themselves in its work. The memories of the pleasant 
intercourse which one has had with men like the late members, Hollis 
Hallifax, Hennah, Wonfor, and others, is an abiding influence for 
good. Thanks be we have numbers of such men still amongst us, and 
the heart must be hard indeed that does not feel a thrill of pleasure in 
still being able to meet and discuss matters relating to Natural 
