COMMITTER’S ADDRESS. 191 
on their three days’ excursion to the Cheviots—one of their 
expeditions on which many of them would always look back as 
one of the most delightful excursions in which they had ever 
taken part. But whilst feeling thus, he must hasten to the 
business to which their chairman had called him, which was to 
express on their behalf their feelings towards Mr. Mennell, in 
presenting him with that testimonial. There was, perhaps, no 
pursuit in life which was so productive of friendly feelings, which 
so bound men in pleasant associations and intercourse, which so 
rapidly ripened into friendship, as did that of natural history. 
Next to the great universal bond of a common Saviour, he knew 
of no bond which bound men so closely together as that of a 
common love ofnature. They knew very well that there were 
other labours which bound men together. Men of the same 
habits, profession, and business had much in common; but how 
very often did they find that those whose profession or business 
was the same, were very glad to leave each other behind when 
they left the desk, the office, or the counting-house. It was not 
so, however, with the love of natural history. They were glad 
to seize upon the opportunity of investigating the truths of 
nature; and those who joined them in doing so, were certainly 
drawn to them by the most unselfish of earthly friendships. The 
friendships which were then formed were deeper than the mere super- 
ficial friendships of ordinary society, as he had had the opportunity 
of knowing from his acquaintance with foreign naturalists. If the 
society had not accomplished anything more than uniting them 
together, through their love of natural history, it had still been 
eminently successful. It had brought the country naturalists into 
communication with the naturalists of the closet and the study; 
and had afforded them the advantage of the intellectualism of such 
men as Drs. Charlton and Embleton, and other members whom he 
saw around. Ifthey had not the volumes of published transactions 
which had already taken their place amongst the natural history 
works of reference in the country, to refer to, as proofs of their 
haying been a useful society, he thought that that even was suffi- 
cient. He had thus shewn that the Tyneside Club had succeeded 
as a bond of friendship; he need not refer to its being ascientific 
