It has been the custom of your past Presidents in their first 

 address to survey, with one majestic swoop, the whole field of science 

 and nature, to cull therefrom such dainty morsels, and lead you through 

 such inviting pastures as their long and varied experience has shown 

 them would be most tempting to your tastes. A far humbler role falls 

 to me : it is to call your attention to ourselves, and perhaps to suggest 

 a topic or two, the discussion of which may be of interest or of value. 



And first, as to the name of our Society. We have lived and 

 flourished under our present cumbrous appellation, which, however 

 suitable it may have been when first we were born into the world, is 

 now, in my humble opinion, rather antiquated, stiff and slightly mis- 

 leading. We are hardly a New Cross Society, and though we are 

 Microscopical and " Naturally Historical," yet we have of late gone 

 outside the realms of " Natural History " pure and simple, and to our 

 great advantage taken a somewhat wider range of subjects. As we all 

 know, natural history itself is a somewhat indefinite and almost obsolete 

 term, it is broken up into its several departments, and is a term seldom 

 used among those who make any pretence to scientific knowledge. 



I would suggest that the Council take into consideration the 

 alteration of our name into, say. The Wickham Park Scientific Society, 

 or some such name. For this we have a good precedent in the exis- 

 tence of the Wickham Park Musical Society. When our Society first 

 came into existence this neighbourhood had not been built, let us, 

 therefore, now lengthen our cords and strengthen our stakes, and spread 

 our sheltering roof over as wide an area as may be possible. I think 

 this name would be popular among our members and the , outside 

 public, and would be likely to forward our interests out of doors. 



I would likewise suggest that the time has come when our 

 apology for a library should be overhauled and revised, either as has 

 already been suggested, by borrowed books, or by the purchase of, say, 

 some thirty or forty books of general scientific interest. The rules for 

 the Library, too, ought to be made a little less stringent, and the members 

 ought to be allowed a longer time to read the books. 



