202 [Proc. BN.F.C, 



work done in Belfast for the reception of the savants who 

 attended the meetings of the Association. These would not 



have been attempted save for Mr. Gray's energy and special 

 knowledge." 



In 1880 an important Conversazione was held, when a 

 motion was made that the collection of exhibits should be 

 open to the public on the following day, and I believe it was 

 successful. A charge of 6d. was made for admission, and at 

 that rate it was attended by 98 visitors. I mention this as at 

 our last Conversazione I heard many regrets that the exhibits 

 would not be available for inspection on the following day. 



At this meeting the system of making one particular 

 branch a special feature was adopted, that year Limestone 

 being the subject, and the next year Igneous and Metamorphic 

 Rocks. We abandoned this system in the present year, pre- 

 ferring a general collection of subjects, as giving the members 

 a better opportunity of exhibiting. 



In this year Mr. Hugh Robinson retired from the Secre- 

 taryship, with great regret on the part of the Club. That he 

 was one of the great builders of the Club is manifest, as the 

 trail of his work is strongly marked, running through the 

 minutes of his term of office; and in the same year our valued 

 friend, Mr. Wm. Gray, took the Presidential chair. 



Mr. Gray occupied the chair also in 1880-81, when his 

 address was on " Our Club," so that in a measure I am follow- 

 ing in his footsteps, I find that his address was not a bit 

 too modest, and only long enough to fill four and a half 

 columns of the " Northern Whig." I shall not read it all to 

 you, but I cannot help saying that he emphasises the excur- 

 sions' scheme as " the most characteristic feature of our 

 organisation." 



I cannot spare time now to touch on them, but their 

 records in the minutes bear out Mr. Gray's statement, for 

 they were full of life and action. This was 23 years ago, 

 and I ask attention to one short paragraph in this remarkable 

 address, remarkable for the fields it travelled over, and the 

 clear-sighted vision and grasp of a subject, especially in some 



