130 [Proc. B. N. F. C, 



The third meeting of the winter session was held on January 

 29th — the Vice-president, Mr. Joseph Wright, F.G.S., in the 

 chair — when a communication was brought forward by Mr. 

 William Swanston, F.G.S., entitled, " Photography, as an aid 

 to the Club's Work." The reader, on being called upon, 

 proceeded as follows : — 



Twenty-six years ago the founders of our club framed an 

 admirable set of rules for its guidance, which have remained 

 to the present time with scarce any alteration to govern its 

 management. The first gave the society its name, the second 

 defined its aim. They are — 1st. That the society be called the 

 Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. 2nd. That the objects of the 

 society be the practical study of natural science and archaeology 

 in Ulster — afterwards extended to all Ireland. 



Though holding an official position in the club it will not, 

 I am sure, be considered egotistical on my part if I state that, 

 in my opinion, the club is, to some extent, succeeding in fulfilling 

 its mission. Doubtless, the numbers who really work and 

 who contribute to the club's proceedings is small in proportion 

 to those who merely sympathise with its doings, but this is so, 

 and ever will be, in similar societies. It is not just, however, 

 to measure the usefulness of the club in advancing our know- 

 ledge of natural science or archaeology by the number of its 

 published papers, or by the thickness of its annual proceedings ; 

 the reports of our meetings and excursions have a wide-spread 

 circulation through the local Press, and they are, let us hope, 

 in some degree educating, not only those who are members 

 nominally, but the outside public as well. Looking back, one 

 is inclined to say that there is perhaps not so much field 

 work done by our younger members now as there was in the 

 early days of the club, but still the work goes quietly on, 

 and our recent publications, I think, satisfactorily prove that 

 we are not retrograding. Much more, however, remains to 



