Sa 
15 
remarked that man was certainly losing his hair, and, in the course of 
further observations, stated, that according to certain authorities, the 
man of th efuture would lose his teeth, his ribs, and his toes. The result. 
of the loss of the last-named members of the body, the speaker remarked | 
amid laughter, would be that man would develope the hoof. He then 
proposed “ The health of the Mayor,” pointing out to the Chief 
Magistrate how much there were in natural history which would be 
useful to him in his profession, and, having described the amicable 
relations which had always existed between the Society and the Town 
Council, paid a tribute to the personal worth of the Mayor, and 
assured him that he had the sympathy of the members of the Natural 
History Society, and might rely upon their support in conducting the 
business of the town.—The Mayor was very short in his remarks, but. 
he happily expressed himself in acknowledging the words of Mr. 
Haselwood and the hearty reception of the toast. 
Alderman Cox, in proposing “the health of the Chairman of the 
Hove Commissioners,” thonght it most suitable that the toast should 
follow closely that of the Mayor of Brighton, for he had always found 
that Mr. Howlett took almost as much interest in the prosperity of 
Brighton as of Hove. He said that he entertained some fear lest the 
President should have applied his argument of the decadence of man 
to the Brighton Town Council, and expressed himself a believer in 
evolution rather than in decadence. Connecting this thought with 
natural history, he laid stress upon the value of pursuing its study, 
inasmuch as it taught people to think. 
Mr. Howlett, who announced to the company that the President 
and he hailed from the same county by addressing him as a “brother 
Norfolk dumpling,” likened himself to the Mayor m being like a fish 
out of water in the presence of such a learned body. He assured the 
members of the Society that he would assist them in every way he 
could, and invited them to visit Hove more often than they had 
hitherto done. 
Mr. G. D. Sawyer was the next speaker, and he gave the toast of 
“‘ Prosperity to the Society.” He claimed the Society were useful in 
many ways, and not least in providing recreation for its members, 
especially professional men, whose business brought them worry and 
care. But, above that, it was a means of inducing to study, and he 
thought it was fully entitled to be considered a learned Society. 
The toast was duly honoured, but no one responded on behalf of 
the Society. Almost all present being members, it would, perhaps, 
have been hardly the thing. 
The next speech was perhaps the neatest of the evening, and it 
was eloquently expressed. Mr. F. Merritield was the speaker, and he 
submitted the toast of ‘“ Literature, Art, and Science,” He explained 
the connection between the three, and again their connection with the 
Brighton and Sussex Natural History and Philosophical Society. It 
was pleasant, he remarked, to couple the three together—Literature, 
the heir of so lengthened and glorious a past ; Science, with the pro- 
mise of so brilliant and beneficent a future ; and Art, which he sup- 
posed might be described as superior to time altogether. He coupled 
a the toast the names of Mr, Henriques, Dr. Ewart, and Mr. de 
aris. 
