Field Club on reaching its fiftieth year. A long time ago I made 

 a map of Great Britain and Ireland showing all the different Field 

 Clubs as black dots. In the whole of Ireland we had only one, 

 and that one was the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club. Having 

 studied their history and development I came to the conclusion 

 that when one lasts for fifty years it will last for ever, and who 

 doubts that the Belfast Club will last for ever. Mr. Gray made a 

 remark which rather suggested that he found the remains of a 

 "field club" in some deposit near Belfast, which proved its 

 existence before the Ice Age. 



I want to thank you for the way you have helped our Club 

 in Dublin. You have helped us perhaps most by sending from 

 Belfast Mr. Lloyd Praeger. He reminds me of a powerful motor 

 car, full of energy, driven by an intelligent man. You are carried 

 along, and if an old cock like myself is run over, we still say — 

 what a wonderful machine ! Well, we would never get along if 

 we hadn't Mr. Praeger. 



I suggested in Dublin they should hang up glass cases in 

 some conspicuous parts of the city containing pictures or 

 specimens of the migratory birds as each arrives in Spring. I 

 suggest the same in Belfast, where you have probably the best 

 bird stuffer in Europe, Mr. Sheals. The permission of the 

 Corporation or the other necessary authorities should be obtained, 

 and each exhibit should have conspicuously printed — "This case 

 is placed here by the Belfast Naturalists' Field Club." Then 

 those persons who never heard of your Club might join or 

 otherwise support it. In America, I believe, they have done this 

 in some cities. I would also like to advocate the establishment 

 of a Zoological Gardens in Belfast. In many things you are 

 before Dublin, but you have not got a Zoo yet. And that reminds 

 me that I must thank you on behalf of the Royal Zoological 

 Society of Ireland, whom I have the honour to represent at this 

 meeting, for the invitation to be with you on this most interesting 

 anniversary. 



