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than diminished their value! Our kind friend, Mr. AcLanp, 
who may well be called the backbone of the Society, has not 
only contributed several valuable papers, but he has been and 
is now delivering a course of Lectures on Botany, for which he 
has deservedly gained the cordial gratitude of our Society. 
Our tntiring and clever Secretary, Mr. ULLYETT, has not been 
behindhand in contributing his share to our success, and Dr. 
Kwnaacs has made out a list of local Lepidoptera, which is, in 
a scientific point of view, invaluable, while Mr. Dashwoop 
sets an example to-night, which I would fain see more exten- 
sively imitated, by giving us a paper on Birds. We sadly 
want more working members; each of you might so easily 
and pleasantly contribute something towards building up the 
Edifice of Science—each might bring one brick ; I mean there 
are so many points on which we want to throw light and to 
get all available evidence—and here all might help. So many 
debateable questions to be answered, for example, Do, or do 
not, Swallows, Sandmartins, &c. hybernate ? There are 
many instances of their being seen in England in October, 
November, and December, and again in March. Are these 
late departures or early arrivals ? have they been hybernating 
in old walls, sandbanks, &c., where they are said to have 
been found by reliable witnesses? It is not many years since 
Swallows were believed, even by scientific men, to hybernate 
under water, though this notion is now exploded. Now this, 
for example, is a mystery you might all help to clear up by a 
little trained and intelligent observation, and by a careful 
noting of facts. Again, Do Toads live in air-tight holes and 
other cavities for unheard of times? Are the stories we 
hear to this effect fact or fiction? Are Birds fascinated by 
Snakes, and Butterfles by Lizards? Do Vipers swallow their 
young when alarmed? There is a very interesting discussion 
going on at this momeut in ‘“ Land and Water” on this 
subject ; here again is a case in which every individual ex- 
perience is all-important. There are deeper questions than 
this in Natural Science to which no one can at present return 
a satisfactory answer, for example, What is Gravitation ? 
Gravitation, which Sir John Herschell justly calls “the most 
universal truth at which human reason has yet arrived,” and of 
the nature of which, save as to its effects, we know absolutely 
nothing. What is this immeasurably vast and all-pervading 
