PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 325 
subsequent breakfast may not be unacceptable. I would, how- 
ever, suggest that on those occasions an earlier dinner hour should 
be fixed upon. It has also appeared to me that the tract of 
country laid out for the day’s excursion has been occasionally too 
extensive, and that a shorter walk, in which the country might 
be examined more at leisure, would be desirable. I regret also 
that the practice of reading short papers after dinner has been so 
nearly discontinued. This has been principally occasioned by 
the length of the excursion and the late dinner hour not allowing 
time for the purpose. 
By a rule of our club, it was proposed to unite the pursuit of 
antiquities with that of natural history in our field excursions ; 
and it is therefore to be desired that the antiquaries of the dis- 
trict would more frequently join us on these occasions. The year 
now passed has been rendered memorable among the antiquaries 
of the north by a field excursion on a large scale——I allude to 
the pilgrimage along the line of the Roman wall, got up by Mr. 
Bruce,—in which some of our members joined. It may, however, 
be worthy of the consideration of those antiquaries who are 
members of our club, whether its meetings might not be made 
more available than hitherto for furthering the objects of their 
pursuit. Mr. Carr has set an example of communications on an~- 
tiquarian subjects, which we may hope that other members will 
be induced to follow. 
Very favourable notices of our Transactions have lately appeared 
in the Atheneum, the Literary Gazette, and the Botanical Gazette. 
It is encouraging to receive the meed of applause from such quar- 
ters. ‘We wonder,’ says the latter periodical, ‘that the success 
of this club has not caused similar associations to be formed in 
other parts of the country: if natural history had not hitherto 
been so wholly neglected in our educational systems, we should 
have one in every county town. May the next generation be 
more fortunate, and may the Tyneside Club endure until it finds 
itself a patriarch among Naturalists’ Field Clubs.’ A wish in which 
our members will no doubt heartily join. 
Although this address has extended beyond the limits I at first 
intended, I am unwilling to conclude without saying a few words 
