President's Address. 131 



President's Addeess. 



This, I take it, should be a brief review of the work of 

 the Society during the past year, containing possibly 

 suggestions for the betterment of the Society's work in 

 the year to come. 



Detailed reports on the Society's work in its various 

 departments are now before you, and I wish merely to 

 touch upon certain phases of it. 



The Society's work has during the past year been in 

 many ways very satisfactory, — let us hope that next year 

 its weak parts may be strengthened, and that it may be 

 satisfactory in cdl respects. 



Our Natural History Society here is placed in a position 

 quite different to that of many similar societies elsewhere. 

 Our summer is short, and all field work must be con- 

 centrated in it. During our long winter our studies must 

 be continued indoors. 



Now, our indoor work for the furtherance of Natural 

 History is well done. 



It may be stated to consist of three courses of lectures 

 (with discussions on the same), adapted to three different 

 classes of our community, together with studies in the 

 Museum. 



These are our (1) monthly meetings, where papers on 

 the more serious aspects of Natural History are presented ; 

 (2) the Somerville lectures, a popular course of lectures 

 adapted to the public at large ; and (3) our Saturday 

 afternoon talks to young people. 



The Somerville course this year consisted of lectures on 

 various scientific topics of especial interest to us at 

 present. They were good and were well attended. The 

 improved facility for illustrating them, due to our new 

 electric lantern, was marked. 



The Saturday afternoon talks to young people were also 

 good and were much appreciated, having been better 



