REV. WM. FOWLER, M.A. : PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. I45 



natural phenomenon which can be fully and completely explained 

 in all its circumstances, without a union of several, perhaps of 

 all, the sciences.' 



As a third advantage of membership, the promotion of 

 g-Qod feeling- and close fellowship amongst those who are 

 engaged in the same or kindred pursuits, ma}' be instanced. 

 Having been a member of the West Riding Consolidated 

 Naturalists' Society, from the ashes of which the Yorkshire 

 Naturalists' Union sprung ; and since then of the Yorkshire and 

 Lincolnshire Unions, I have formed friendships which I have 

 highly valued. Some of them have, in the natural order of 

 things been cut short, but several of them, I am thankful 

 to say, yet remain, and, I trust, will do, if not for many, at 

 least for some years still to come. Engaged, as most of us are, 

 in the work of our calling, we should, I fear, see but little of 

 one another, were it not for the excursions and meetings in 

 which we take part. Naturalists sometimes differ, no doubt, 

 on paper or in conference, but these differences of opinion 

 seldom have any effect in putting an end to friendships. It is 

 by hearing both sides of a question, that in our search after 

 knowledge, we can best arrive at the truth, and it by no means 

 follows that the expression of an opinion contrary to our own, 

 need be the cause of jealousy or ill-feeling. Naturalists, on the 

 whole, are a peace-loving people and it would be difficult, I 

 think, to find any association m which harmony prevails to a 

 greater extent, than in the Yorkshire Naturalists' Union. And 

 if, at times, we do disagree, we are not alone in so doing. It 

 is an infirmity of nature, from which members of the legal and 

 medical professions, nay, even of the clerical profession 

 are not exempt ; one therefore, from which we, as humble 

 workers, should not be expected to claim immunity. If we are 

 no worse than our betters, let us be thankful ; and glad that 

 any personal disagreement is quite an exception to the rule, 

 which is one of kindliness and m.utual fellowship. Speaking for 

 myself, it is always a disappointment when other engagements 

 prevent my being present at excursions or meetings of the 

 Union, so inspiriting and enjoyable are they. 



The last advantage of union I shall mention is this, that 

 our excursions in the different parts of our county bring us face to 

 face with Nature itself. Descriptions of species, accounts of the 

 changes they undergo in their life-history, become wonderfully 

 more interesting, when the realities of which they speak are 

 before us. Manuals of geology, botany, or zoology are like 

 guide-books to a foreign country, of little interest if you are not 

 there, or going there, but of great interest if you are in presence 

 of the objects therein noted and described. From books alone, 

 it is impossible to learn natural history to any useful purpose ; 



