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powerful and direct tendency to extend the love of scientific enquiry, than 

 ready access by the masses of the people to such sources of mental 

 gratification and improvement as are presented in a weU-ordered and 

 well-selected collection of natural objects. How far it may be practicable 

 for us as a body to take an active part in furthering this vast aid to 

 the educational movement of the present day is perhaps doubtful ; but it 

 is certainly the duty of every true naturalist, and individually of 

 every member of a scientific association, to endeavour by all means in his 

 power to contribute to this desirable object by aiding in the establishment 

 of local museums in every town in the county. Bristol has long enjoyed 

 a well-earned preeminence in this respect; its museum being one of 

 the richest and most instructive in the provinces. Cirencester and 

 Cheltenham both possess similar institutions, though on a smaller scale, 

 and, in respect of the latter town, not, I regret to say, supported with that 

 munificence which might be looked for in a place of its wealth and 

 importance. It has long been a reproach to Gloucester that the metropolitan 

 town should lag so far behind in the race ; but thanks to our colleague, 

 Mr. Jones, that stigma is now removed, and it only now rests with 

 the citizens of Gloucester to shew their appreciation of the valuable 

 medium for instruction thus placed at their command by furnishing 

 such small pecuniary support as shall suffice for the care of the objects so 

 liberally exhibited for their inspection and improvement. 



It was in the hope of exercising a useful influence in this direction that 

 Gloucester was selected as the place of meeting for the Cotteswold Club on 

 the occasion to which I am now referring; and with a view to act 

 still further upon public opinion in that city, I determined to depart from 

 our ordinary custom, and to read my address to the club in public. 

 Accordingly after dinner at the Earn, at which about fifty gentlemen were 

 present, we adjourned to a meeting at the Com Exchange, where we were 

 gratified by the presence of a large and influential audience, amongst 

 whom, the appearance of a large number of ladies was a cause of 

 real pride and satisfaction. The details of the proceedings of a scientific 

 body are, however, necessarily of a somewhat dry and technical 

 nature, and it is perhaps doubtful how far they may be suited to an 

 unscientific audience : on the other hand it cannot be thought desirable 

 that the president of a scientific society should lower the standard of his 

 address to the level of a popular lecture ; and I have since seen reason to 

 hesitate respecting the advantage of renewing the experiment, then for the 

 first time tried, of reading the annual address in public, unless special local 

 and exceptional circumstances should concur to render it useful. 



I cannot conclude the notice of this day's proceedings without referring 

 to Sijeu d' esprit from the pen of one of oijr associates, which in the garb of 



