Ixxxii PEOCEEDiiiras of the 



scientific business apart from their general meetings, active promo- 

 ters of their scientific proceedings, and ample support for their 

 publications, as well as general members attracted by their splen- 

 did gardens ; and some of them may have hinted that the Linnean 

 Society may be left to botanists ; but I am happy to say that 

 several of their leading men have agreed with me that the Lin- 

 nean ought to maintain its position at the head of both branches, 

 and that a closer connexion between the scientific branch of the 

 Zoological and the Linnean might yet be reestablished. I foresee 

 great practical difficulties in the details of any plan that has been 

 thought of, but not, I think, insurmountable ones ; and the object 

 appears to me so desirable for the interests of both Societies, and 

 for the general promotion of Science, that I should be most 

 anxious to receive and consider any suggestions which might occur 

 to you on the subject. In the mean time I would strongly impress 

 upon those zoologists who treat of geographical distribution, bio- 

 logical history, metamorphosis, and development, and other gene- 

 ral questions, as well as the investigators of those lower orders of 

 animals which are either closely connected with or dependent 

 on vegetable life, or caunot form part of the Regent's Park Me- 

 nagerie, the advantage of sending their communications to us in 

 preference to Societies of more restricted range. 



To Greology proper we have long given up all pretensions ; but 

 in the present day, when many a link between former races of 

 beiags and those now living has been established, palaeontology is 

 becoming more and more connected with actual biology, and we 

 ought perhaps to encourage the production of papers on the subject 

 at our Meetings. 



Our Ethnological Societies appear now to be at the zenith of 

 their prosperity, and take a very wide range for their discussions. 

 If any reaction should hereafter take place, and they return to 

 their more legitimate subjects, it will be found perhaps that some 

 of those they have treated would more naturally come under ani- 

 mal biology. 



There is another Society to whom we are much indebted for 

 encouragement and cooperation, our own parent, the Koyal 

 Society, the acknowledged head of all science in the country. 

 Our connexion with them has, I am happy to say, been drawn 

 much closer since we have been admitted under the same roof. 

 It has occurred to some members of both bodies that advantages 

 might accrue to both by some still closer connexion as to the 

 publication of papers on the higher questions of Natural History. 



