175 



all the objects of Natural History that occur in the adjoining country. 

 A.mong the lower forms of life the difficulties are so great that the pros- 

 pects of obtaining this end are very dim, but with this exce})tion there 

 is no reason why we should not become thoroughly acquainted with our 

 I'esources. To accomplish this we want leaders in every class and in 

 many instances we need workers devoted to particular orders or 

 families. It is not necessary that the first lists should approach per- 

 fection, any list is better than none, once commenced they are centres 

 which will rai)idly increase, and form starting points where others may 

 begin, while an incomplete list will— from its very defects — prove an 

 incentive to many to bring it to perfection. 



A natural outcome of all intelligent collecting, beginning with the 

 first efforts in that line, is the developing of the power of observation. 

 Things that before were passed by unnoticed now attract attention and 

 the many relations that natural objects bear to each other are dis- 

 covered. This is the source of the attraction with which this science 

 retains its followers, without it the hardest worker can never become a 

 naturalist, and rarely continue a steadfast student. 



That this power may not be wasted notes should be made of all 

 observations during the preparation of lists, for a record of a series 

 carefully followed is the matter we require for our papers and must 

 mainly constitute our oflTeiings to science. Every fact is of value' 

 whether it be general in character or refer to some particular local con- 

 dition. Notes of local interest, by themselves, may not appear of much 

 importance, but when compared with similar observations from other 

 sources, may prove of the greatest value and may tend to add to our 

 knowledge of faunal distribution, that very important i)hase of the 

 science of Natural Historv. 



Our work must not end with the perfecting of our lists and publi- 

 cation of scientific record.s, something moie is required of us in this 

 practical age, which it is our duty to furnish. We must be prepared to 

 answer the question which might be put to us by the captious — of 

 what practical use is the Club I Our response to this should be found 

 in the Transactions ; there the agriculturalist should learn what are the 

 pests that destroy his crops and how they may be conquered or pre- 

 vented; the speculator should be able, from their perusal, to obtain the 



