14 



owing to our central position, we got into the Exhibition 

 several of the British public who had no particular tendencies 

 towards our hobby. I hope that may be the means of lead- 

 ing at least some of them to take a deeper interest in the 

 subject. It has been suggested that we had rivals or even 

 superiors in this field. I cannot admit the fact. Our Exhi- 

 bition was beyond anything of the kind done before, and I 

 feel sure that with the experience gained on this occasion 

 our future exhibitions, which I do hope and trust we shall 

 succeed in making literally annual, will be as far superior to 

 the one held this year as this year was in advance of previous 

 ones. There are one or two suggestions in connection with 

 the subject I feel bound to specially mention. We were too 

 late with our tickets. The financial portion depends to a 

 large extent on the assistance we get from our members in 

 selling and distributing tickets. Unfortunately, as I have 

 stated, we did not on this occasion get them, out early 

 enough. To my mind they should be in the hands of the 

 members on sale or return at least a month or even six 

 weeks before the day of the Exhibition. A little more care 

 is also required in connection with the ticket department 

 generally. I did hear complaints of tickets not reaching 

 their destination, and various little catastrophes in con- 

 nection with exhibits and exhibitors. These arose mainly 

 owing to our having to crowd too much into the last few 

 days. I can, however, personally vouch for the fact that 

 both the Secretaries and Committee worked hard for the 

 good of the Exhibition and the Society, and I sincerely hope 

 that any little shortcomings on any of our parts will be for- 

 gotten and forgiven in the splendid results obtained as a 

 whole. I think also that it is a mistake to make it a one- 

 day show. Few people are aware of the tremendous amount 

 of trouble and energy required in getting up anything of this 

 kind, and I doubt if it is really worth while doing for one 

 night only, and I hope for a change in this direction in the 

 future. 



Amongst the many interesting papers published during 

 the year, I was much struck with one on Specialists and 

 Specialism by the President of the North London Natural 

 History Society, and if I may venture, without impertinence, 

 to so suggest, I think it would be a good thing if the 

 members of our Society, without discarding that general 

 knowledge of biology which is most essential to a specialist, 

 would devote their particular attention and energies to some 

 special group or species. The undoubted tendency of the 



