PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. Vll 



other means must be adopted; and to bring the discussion to a 

 practical issue, I would make the following suggestions : 



(1) That reports of our monthly meetings, or of lectures or 

 other functions under the auspices of the Society be sent every 

 member regularly. This might perhaps be done with least trouble 

 and without much expense by making suitable arrangements with 

 the city newspapers. 



(2) That if possible there should be held annually a special 

 meeting of the Institute, preferably at some time when there are 

 excursion railway rates to the city; that the programme of this 

 meeting, should be made of as great general interest as possible; 

 and that there should be opportunity at it for the discussion of 

 matters specially affecting non-resident members. 



(3) That as many competent observers as possible should be 

 organized in observational work, mapped out by and under the 

 direction of the Institute. 



That part of the Institutes work designed to awaken public 

 interest in science has not hitherto received much direct attention 

 from the Society. All are agreed, however, that it is important, 

 both as an end in itself, and as a means to the end for which the 

 Society exists. 



There are occasions when arousing public interest in. scientific 

 matters becomes an imperative duty which a scientific society must 

 not shirk. The advent of the brown tail moth is an example of 

 such an occasion. And other occasions frequently occur offering 

 opportunities to a Scientific Society to be of public service. I am 

 reminded in this connection that not many months ago I heard a 

 city official give an address in which he scoffed at the idea that the 

 common house fly could be a carrier of disease. This example 

 illustrates a dangerous sort of ignorance which a popular scientific 

 lecture on the; habits of the house fly might perhaps remove. And 

 if the Institute could occasionally provide such lectures on timely 

 topics it would earn public gratitude, and incidentally do much- 

 to educate the public to appreciate the value of scientific work and 

 to become interested in it. 



It would be easy to suggest numerous ways of promoting 

 investigation and interest in investigation, which could be made 



