BY WM. BENSON. 15 



subjects have attracted but little attention, though they are 

 easily made attractive, and this neglect is largely attribut- 

 able to the absence of accessible sources of information. 



The taste for such studies when once acquired rarely leaves 

 a man, and developes afterwards along the lines of his 

 peculiar preference, and thus the whole field of scientific 

 enquiry is gradually occupied, though only a few branches be 

 specially taught at first. 



At present the Eoyal Society occupies a somewhat isolated 

 height, and my wish is to see encouragement offered to 

 climbers from the lower level, and means of ascent pi'ovided. 

 Many plans might be proposed for carrying out such 

 educational work, aud the following suggestion may not 

 be the best, but there is an advantage in having something 

 definite before us to be amended if it cannot be approved, and 

 therefore I would propose for consideration the desirability 

 of initiating courses of popular lectures on scientific subjects 

 to be delivered under the auspices of this Society. Such 

 lectures might alternate with the ordinary meetings, and they 

 should not be restricted to members, but be open to all who 

 desired to attend. I do not know whether this room would 

 be available. It is not spacious enough for a large audience, 

 but doubtless if the attendance became considerable a suitable 

 hall would not be wanting. Personally, having great faith in 

 object lessons, I should like to see the Museum itself made 

 use of on all occasions where its cabinets could be used as 

 illustrations, and the lecture would be none the less valuable 

 to the hearers, and might perhaps be less arduous to the 

 lecturer if it were so delivered. 



Another thing which might be attempted in connection 

 with this Society is the formation of a Naturalist's Field Club, 

 similar to what exists in Melbourne and other Australian, 

 cities. 



These two suggestions are much alike in character, and 

 both the lectures and the excursions might be expected to 

 give rise to papers, for the discussion of which opportunity 

 should be found, though of course not at our regular meetings. 

 One other matter might well interest this Society, but it is 

 probably one which must originate with some individual 

 privately, and need only be hinted at here. I mean the 

 introduction of local science primers for school use. 



Some may think such work, as is here suggested, too 

 elementary for our Society to recognise. 



This would be true enough if it were proposed to abandon 

 the Society's present work, or to lower the standard of the 

 papers submitted to its meetings. But the desire is to 

 supplement rather than to subvert, and the hope is to obtain 

 in the end a wider circle of contributors and papers, 

 embodying more varied original researches. 



