LECTURE I. 



ON THE STUDY OF NATURAL HISTORY AND 

 ITS RELATIVE SCIENCES. 



Mr. President, and Gentlemen of the Society, 



IT having been considered desirable, at the 

 commencement of our meeting, to take a retro- 

 spective view of those circumstances which have 

 more immediately led to the formation of the 

 Society, as well as its presents pursuits; I shall 

 previously to my entering upon the subject of this 

 day's paper, briefly explain to you their nature 

 and import. 



In the advanced state of knowledge which 

 distinguishes the present from all preceding ages, 

 it could not be expected that our Island, so re- 

 plete with natural productions, and so inviting to 

 the philosophic traveller, should long remain 

 unexplored ; and it having been ascertained that 

 it abounded in a variety of plants, minerals, and 

 fossils, highly illustrative of the laws of nature, 

 and afforded an interesting scope for the geo- 

 logical enquirer ; some gentlemen of Newport 

 who had directed their attention to scientific 



