THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 27 



mountain top has not yet been reached, for, as Tennyson 



sings : — 



This fine old world of ours is but a child 

 Yet in the go-cart. Patience ! give it time 

 To learn its limbs ! there is a hand that guides. 



Baron F. von Mueller, K.C.M.G., patron of the Club, then 

 proposed a vote of thanks to the president for his eloquent 

 address, and in the course of his remarks observed that great 

 praise was due to the Rev. Mr. Halley for his having so ably and 

 zealously presided over our Club for the last three years, when 

 the rev. gentleman's time was already so severely taxed with the 

 high duties of his ecclesiastic office all the while. The baron 

 further alluded to the lucid retrospective remarks by the retiring 

 president on the scientific achievements of the centur}', which 

 secular epoch he designated as the greatest of all for biomorphic 

 science, in which the Club was so particularly interested, as 

 during the remaining dozen of years of this century most of the 

 yet undiscovered and undescribed organic forms, whether of 

 vegetable or animal life, would likely be rendered known ; 

 wher6as the details of their organisations, functions, genetic 

 relations, and various properties remained to be elucidated 

 in future centuries. He alluded also, in connection with the 

 president's remarks on the prediction of species of planets prior 

 to their discovery, to the foreseen combinations of chemical 

 synthesis, and to the preconceiving by calculation of the con- 

 struction of Helmholtz's ophthalmoscope. Our patron further 

 dwelt on the highly creditable efforts of the Field Naturalists' 

 Club in the past, on its splendid present status, as evinced by 

 the display of the multitudinous objects brought together for the 

 anniversary celebration — not at random, but as the results of 

 earnest and independent studies by many members in different 

 directions ; and he prognosticated a glorious future for the 

 Club, especially so as the great Australian continent became 

 gradually traversable through all its regions with ease in as 

 many days as months were required by the original explorers to 

 effect the geographic discoveries. This, he said, gave him 

 an apt opportunity of introducing the distinguished traveller 

 and naturalist, Mr. H. O. Forbes, to the meeting, with an 

 expression of hope that the Government of New Guinea would 

 avail itself of Mr. Forbes' talent and experience to opening up 

 the resources of that great island through many a coming year. 

 In conclusion, he congratulated the Club that so worthy a 

 successor had been found for their esteemed late president in 

 Professor Lucas, whose special learning in the natural sciences, 

 and whose particular aptitude also for field work, augured so 

 well for the future of the Club. 



The vote of thanks was carried by acclamation. 



