INAUGUKAL ADDRESS. 171 



been relieved of the risk of its publication by the liberal action of the 

 Proprietors of the Midland Counties Herald, no indifference on onr part 

 must leave loss to faU upon them ; a subscription is no mere contribu- 

 tion towards the common weal, full value is returned for it. Under the 

 excellent editorship of ]\Ir. E. W. Badger and Mr. W. J. Harrison, the 

 journal has been so conducted that, if the progress exhibited in the fu'st 

 five numbers continues, it will speedily acquii-e more than a local fame, 

 and the United Societies, when it is estabhshed on a firm basis, may with 

 legitimate pride point to the " Midland Naturalist " as the first work of, 

 and a sufficient reason for, their Union. 



But we have other duties besides those which tend to secure the 

 success of our local organisation ; we are British as weU as Midland 

 Natm-ahsts, and ought by all means in our power to aid in extending the 

 usefulness of those representative Societies of our country, of world-wide 

 reputation, whose reports, transactions, and other pubhcations, form in 

 a great part the basis of the knowledge we possess of the vai-ious subjects 

 of our studies ; probably many of you consult these reports and trans- 

 actions for the valuable information they contain, well contented if your 

 local hbrary possesses them, without giving a thought to the cost of their 

 production. But, however distinguished may be these Societies, they are 

 maintained by the subscriptions of then- members, and their pubhcations 

 are limited, and consequently their utihty, by the measiu'e of their funds ; 

 many precious treatises, the results of the long observation, and earnest 

 thought of some of our best observers of Nature, are, for lack of the 

 means of pubUcation, lost to science, and the energies of succeeding 

 Naturalists have to be wasted in going over the same ground again, 

 which might have been more profitably expended in working out new 

 discoveries. It is the duty of every true Naturalist, who can afford the 

 few guineas necessary to constitute membership, to join these Societies, 

 and aid the general cause of science by increasing their means of utihty. 



The Societies to which I especially refer are : — The Linnean Society, 

 which was founded in 1788 for the cultivation of Natmral History in all 

 its branches, and more especially the Natural History- of Great Britain 

 and L-eland. 



The Geological Society of London, instituted in 1807, for the investi- 

 gation of the Mineral Stmcture of the earth. 



The Zoological Society of London, instituted in 1826, for the 

 advanceraent of Zoology, and the introduction and exhibition of subjects 

 of the animal kingdom aHve, and in a state of preservation. 



The Entomological Society, founded in 1833, for the cultivation of 

 the knowledge of the structure, uses, habits, and functions of the Insect 

 tribes, both native and foreign. 



The Eay Society, founded in 1844, for printing such works in 

 Natui'al History as stand in need of extraneous assistance to secure their 

 pubhcation. 



And the Palasontogi'aphical Society, estabhshed in 1847, for the 

 purpose of figuring and describing the whole of the British Fossils. 



The last two Societies are specially deserving of the support both of 

 the several societies in the Union, and of the individual members ; the 



