PRESIDENT S ADDRESS, CXI. 



the number of articles which are used in this country, but 

 "made in Germany," it is refreshing to find that the Germans 

 with good cause complain of the inundation of British photo- 

 graphic plates, the amount of which has increased from 9,600 

 kilogrammes in 1903 to 83,000 kilogrammes in 1906. At the 

 British Association meeting at York last year the President 

 lamented the " less widespread interest than formerly in natural 

 history and general science outside the strictly professional arena 

 of the school and university." The President of the French 

 Association implied something of the same sort, and it has 

 struck me often that the number of those interested in any 

 branch of science who really work at it with some degree of 

 industry and perseverance and make no pecuniary profit out of it 

 by professorships, or commercially or otherwise, is very small 

 indeed. If any proof is required of this, look at the list of those 

 scientists who take some part in the actual scientific work of the 

 British Association. I regret to say that in our own Club 

 not one Member has come forward this year with an essay 

 for the Mansel-Pleydell medal competition, though I feel 

 sure that there are many who could have written a very 

 fair one, and some a very good one, on the subject pro- 

 posed, " Ancient Camps in Dorset." I can only hope that 

 with regard to the subject for the present year, namely, " The 

 distribution of living plants in relation to the different geological 

 formations in Dorset," we may have a very different result. It is 

 one which requires no deep knowledge of botany or geology, and 

 is quite within the powers of many of our Members who are 

 interested in these subjects. I hope that some of our lady 

 members will take it up, as I know of several with botanical 

 tastes. Thanks to our late President, in whose honour the medal 

 is given, we have " The Flora of Dorset," a book from which 

 almost anyone could write an essay with the help of a geological 

 map of the county. The Cecil medal competition has been 

 more fortunate, and has produced the excellent essay which is 

 laid on the table for your inspection, besides others of merit. It 

 is satisfactory to feel that even so far off as in the Malay States 



