16 



this stage of activity ; and perhaps it may never get to it. 

 In the meantime, l" should suggest that members who read 

 papers which it is desirable to publish, be invited to send 

 them to one of the periodicals of the day treating of that 

 particular department of knowledge to which the papers relate, 

 while any others— at least those which respect our own 

 district— after being read to the Club, be carefully preserved 

 by it for future reference. Members of the Club who, 

 however they may like to join the excursions occasionally, 

 prefer carrying on their own pursuits quietly by themselves, 

 or who find they can do so best when unfettered by the move- 

 ments of a large body,— should be requested still to bring 

 their results forward, to go towards a general collection of 

 such materials as may, we hope, one day serve for a complete 

 illustration of the Natural History, &c., of this neighbourhood. 

 I think, however, instead of adopting the practice of the 

 Bervrirkshire Club, of reading papers at the end of each day's 

 excursion, it would be preferable, for several reasons, to have 

 independent meetings held for the purpose, as on this very 

 day, and at this Institution, or elsewhere, and as often as 

 thought desirable. We hardly know yet to what extent such 

 papers may come in. If, with an increasing number of 

 members, there should seem to be an increasing interest taken 

 in the objects of the Club, and communications made to it more 

 frequently, the Club might merge into a Bath Natural History 

 and Antiquarian Society, — still keeping up its field days, and 

 everything going on as it does now, with the simple addition 

 of a certain number of other days, fixed at the Anniversary or 

 at the quarterly meetings, for the purpose alluded to. I think, at 

 these sittings, preference should be given to papers relating to 

 the Bath district, but after these have been read, or in the event 

 of none such being brought forward, it might be left to 

 members to make any communication to the Club they 

 pleased, though not of a local character, or to exhibit any 

 specimens of Natural History or Antiquities, which they 

 thought might interest it, accompanied by remarks. With 

 regard to the excursion days — whether the excursions be in or 

 beyond the Bath neighbourhood — some notes should be kept 

 by the Secretary of what is seen or done by the party 

 collectively, and these might either be embodied into an 

 address by the retiring President, delivered at the end of his 

 year of office, as in the Berwickshire Club, — or they may 

 continue to be read by the Secretary from his Journal of 

 Proceedings each quarter, as done hitherto. 



Gentlemen, I fear I have detained you rather long ; and there 

 are still other matters to which I would have alluded had the 

 time permitted, — especially the desirableness of having any 



