Nov. 1908. | BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 0 
It has been suggested to me that this event might have 
a little notice at this first meeting of our Society, and, 
indeed, it had already occurred to me to say something 
on the subject as a fitting part of that Presidential address 
which has been lying heavy on my conscience during the 
last few weeks. 
Having been brought into rather intimate contact with 
the workers and the work of the Buchan Field Club, I 
have been greatly impressed by the high and permanent 
value of the work which the Club has already accomplished. 
The objects of the Buchan Field Club are :— 
1. The Study of Natural Science and of the Archeology, 
Folklore, History, and Literature of Buchan. 
2. To interest the young in such studies. 
3. To co-operate with the managers of the Arbuthnot 
Museum, Peterhead, for the improvement of that institution, 
which embraces the following departments :—1. Topography 
and Folklore; 2. Antiquities: 3. History; 4. Biography and 
Literature ; 5. Geology and Mineralogy ; 6. Meteorology ; 7. 
Agriculture and Cattle Rearing; 8. Botany ; 9. Zoology. 
A glance at the nine portly volumes in which their 
twenty-one years’ labours are recorded is most instructive. 
There are several notable articles in botanical science, the 
most conspicuous of which is a very exhaustive paper by 
Professor Trail of Aberdeen on “The Flora of Buchan: Its 
Distribution, Origin, and Relation to Man.” It is a perfect 
example of what may be called “regional research,’ and 
is a model of what might well be done for other districts 
of Scotland by local workers. 
I observe also that there is in preparation a majority 
volume in which the accumulated knowledge on all the 
points that come within the sphere of the Club's operations 
will be presented in a series of special articles each written 
by an accomplished expert in that particular department. 
In the department of natural science I see such names 
as Sir Arthur Mitchell, Professor Trail, Professor J. A. 
Thomson, R. N. Rudmose Brown, B.Sc., ete. This is to be 
written on popular lines, and cannot fail to be deeply 
interesting and stimulating to local workers as well as 
suggestive to workers elsewhere. 
There are several Clubs of this kind in other parts. 
