316 RETIREMENT, TO 1897 : DARWINIANA, ETC. 



to discourses and object lessons, peripatetic lectures and the 

 like, and less mere amusement. 



Be all that as it may, there can be no question of tl 

 advantage of getting those of the members who are coi 

 petent to devote themselves to the description of the counti 

 — but to carry this out I should go to individuals, not to the 

 Club, nor to those at the Club. I should get their adhesioi 

 first and report it to the Club. 



It is the same with a Scientific Society, it is of no use 

 that the President calls on the Fellows to do this or that — 

 all applaud and no one acts. — What you do is to get up a 

 small meeting of interested men, draw up the plan of work, 

 and when complete announce it to the Society together with 

 the names of the future workers. All this takes time and 

 much thought, but it is the only practical plan. My experi- 

 ence is, that talking to a Club is talking to the wind if you 

 cannot yourself by subsequent personal intercourse, and at 

 great time and trouble, both educe zeal and direct its course. 



You have I take it two objects in view, giving a better 

 tone to the at present aimless rambles, and the elucidation 

 of the Natural History of the County. 



The same method applies to the rambles as to the solid 

 works. I should engage competent members to be scientific 

 leaders, who should conduct excursions with definite objects 

 at each meeting. 



Let one leader take the plants, another the geology, 

 and so forth, and further, require that every member joining 

 the meetings should attach himself for the day, or half the 

 day, to some one or other of the leaders and stay with him. 

 I would allow two hours in midday in some convenient 

 (meal) time for ' promiscuous intercourse ' ; but that over, 

 each goes to one of the appointed leaders for the rest of the 

 excursion. 



If the day is divided into a morning and afternoon ramble, 

 you might allow a change — the botanical ramblers of the fore- 

 noon might join the geological of the afternoon — but there 

 must be no chopping and changing at other times ; and this 

 rule must be rigidly enforced. Of course any one is at liberty 

 to go away altogether, or even absent himself temporarily, 

 but not to join any other peripatetic Philosopher. 



But I should not announce or allude even to this or any 



