cii. PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



subjects, and in this way I think our Club is educational. 

 Other subjects dealt with were sanctuaries for our fauna and 

 flora, which seem to be on the increase, also the re-stocking of 

 localities with species that have formerly inhabited them, but 

 become extinct. This practice cannot be defended on scientific 

 grounds, as it is most improbable that the introduced specimens 

 will have the identical qualities of the extinct ones, for 

 there is as a rule some difference, though possibly slight, 

 between groups of the same species in different places. In 

 many cases this difference is very striking. One department of 

 the Franco-British Exhibition was that of science, in which a 

 fine collection of historic and other apparatus and documents in 

 the different branches was shown, as well as many illustrative 

 specimens. Important new buildings, chiefly for scientific 

 purposes, have been opened at the Leeds University, and very 

 large donations have been made for the furtherance of science in 

 India. An account of the cruises of the Valhalla, made partly 

 with a view to the interests of science, has been lately published, 

 which gives much general information, chiefly zoological and 

 botanical, and describes no less than eleven new species of birds. 

 A recent report of the Royal Commission on afforestation and 

 other matters states that 9,000,000 acres in the United Kingdom 

 might probably with advantage be planted with trees so as to 

 produce a profit, and it is hoped that steps may be taken towards 

 this result. It is, however, much to be desired that this should 

 be carried out with discretion, for though semi-wild woods are 

 picturesque and interesting, one would hardly like to see every 

 piece of suitable land not of much use for any other purpose 

 taken up by neatly-arranged plantations. A protest against the 

 extreme application of the law of priority in scientific names has 

 been influentially signed by British zoologists, and it is certainly 

 time that something was done to prevent the confusion and 

 trouble arising from what would appear to be undesirable changes. 

 I do not mention the Daylight Saving Bill as a Scientific subject, 

 but to echo the hope expressed by most, if not all, scientists that 

 we shall not have to submit to it. The one bright spot in it for 



