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sad and lamentable error is discouraged and frustrated. 

 It requires a strong and unconquerable predilection, an 

 independence of action, or fortuitous and prosperous 

 circumstances, for one to become a Naturalist. The 

 sneer of the unthinking, the " world's dread laugh," 

 the fear of singularity has deadened and extinguished 

 many a bright spark of genius and talent for such 

 studies, which fostered and cherished, might have serv- 

 ed to illume and enlighten and benefit a more or less 

 extended sphere. One of the most prominent objects 

 of this Society was to render an essential service to the 

 cause of science by extending that sympathy to such 

 enterprises, which they so much need, and to promote 

 a more general attention to the importance of the sub- 

 ject, especially among the friends of education, through- 

 out the County. It is hoped, that to a certain extent, 

 its success has proved the wisdom of the scheme, and 

 we could wish that the zeal and spirit manifested 

 throughout the sphere of its operations might be mul- 

 tiplied and increased. 



The common observation that a pursuit of Natural 

 History is rendered difficult and tedious through the 

 technicalities of science, is neither founded in truth 

 nor is the result of observation and experience. The 

 nomenclature to every branch of human knowledge is 

 necessarily more or less difficult to acquire and under- 

 stand. The Natural sciences are no more singular in 

 this respect than other sciences or arts. A slight ac- 

 quaintance with philology enables any one to acquire 

 all that is needful in the perception and comprehension 

 of scientific terms. Nor is even this necessary, though 

 desirable. Nature is not read in books and systems, 



