FIRST SOIREE. 



Fp.iDAr, November 25, 1881. — iNACGnaAL Address. James Fletcher, PresideLt 



Members of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club; Ladies and Gentlemen: 



This evening it is again mv privilegp, now for the third time, to deliver the 

 opening address in our course of winter entertainments. I am happy to be able 

 to inform you tlaat the Club is in a very prosperous condition. Not only has 

 the number of members on the roll been increased, but also that of those actively 

 engaged in studying natural history and so farthering the object for which the 

 Club was organized. As it has now become a custom of the Club to publish 

 among other papers the inaugural address of the President in full, and as we have 

 this evening to receive some of the reports of the different branches, my address 

 will not be of so great a length as heretofore. In the two previous years too 

 much space in the Transactions has been taken up by the President's address, 

 to the exclusion of less general and therefore more valuable matter. 



Therj are two methods one or other ot which is generally followed in 

 introductory addresses to such societies as our own. The first is to treat of some, 

 special subject; the second is to consider generally the present condition or 

 progress of science. I shall not, however, follow either of these courses this 

 evening. As the one selected by a Club as the chief executive officer, the 

 President is responsible for much. He has, in tho first place, to look after the 

 working of the whole Club and see that a continuous work of scientific investi- 

 gation is carried on. With the assistance of the excellent council that you elected 

 at the same time as myself at the last annual meeting, I believe that this has. 

 been done. There is also another important duty which seems to devolve 

 specially on myself, as President, and that is to stimulate ,tbe members to keep 

 up their individual studies, to keep constantly before them what has been done 

 in the past, is being done at present, and what we may hope to do in the future, 

 and I cannot help thinking that this is the proptr subject for the opening 

 address — in fact this should be the President's annual report to the Club. I 

 believe we are doing most valuable work towards working up the natural history 

 of the country. We are already making a name for ourselves and are becoming 

 a centre of reference. I have no doubt at all that as it becomes more generally 

 known throughout the district that such an organization exists, where an inquirer 

 can obtain readily information on such subjects as the best means ot dealinjj 



