o THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. 



And we have lost a member whose personal bravery and 

 generous zeal for liberty were honoured by some who would 

 wish liberty won by some other means. We have lost Gari- 

 baldi's Englishman — we have lost Colonel Peard. 



And one loss we have sustained of a wholly diiferent kind, 

 to us irreparable, though, happily not to science, or to the work 

 which I believe will one day know him better. 



We have lost to other scenes of work our devoted secretary, 

 Mr. Collins. As an accurate observer of difficult phenomena, 

 as a recorder and classifier, patient of observation, as the very 

 genius of order in our own arrangement and our catalogues of 

 specimens, as a lucid teacher, as a most kind friend and helper, 

 as a promoter of all thai: was good and pure and true, many 

 could tell his worth. But it requires his equal to know the 

 value of his research and generalisations, and to foresee what 

 may be hoped from his transference to a wider work. We know 

 how we miss his thoughtful yet bright looks, from this table, 

 and how our good wishes pursue him. 



It is no slight expression of regard for him, and of determi- 

 nation that his good work shall not drop, that Mr. H. M. 

 Whitley and Major Parkyn have at once undertaken to carry it 

 on as honorary secretaries, and are prepared to devote their 

 greatest energy to the cause ; while two of our most valued 

 fellow labourers, Mr. lago and Mr. Tregelles, have promised to 

 act in similar capacities, one in East Cornwall and the other in 

 London. We may hope then that the influence and serviceableness 

 of the Society may even now be extended further than hitherto. 



Like most Institutions which are in a state of efficiency, we 

 are also in a state of indebtedness. Old foundations only 

 appear to escape this law. But it never seems to me that what 

 is immoral for the individual can be a virtue in a corporation. 

 Schemes of solvency therefore may perhaps be suggested to day. 

 It would be a relief to all our work to clear off some more mort- 

 gage. Meantime I will suggest a little further outlay to be 

 cleared off at the same time. Italy has a proverb 

 " Preno indorato nori migliora il cavaleo." 



Yet the horse's points are set off if not improved by comely 

 caparison. 



Our valuable collections and our books want brighter outsides. 

 Sydney Smith used to glorify his libraiy as he called it, and 



