president's address. 181 



ADDRESS TO THE MEMBERS OF THE TYNESIDE 

 NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUB, 



BEAD BY THE PRESIDENT, JNO. PHILIPSON, ESQ., J.P., M.I.M.E., ETC., AT 

 THE FORTY-SECOND ANNIVERSARY MEETING, HELD IN THE COM- 

 MITTEE ROOMS OF THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, 

 ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 9TH, 18S8. 



Ladies and Gentlemen, — Permit me to perform a pleasing duty 

 in tendering my grateful thanks for the honour you conferred 

 in electing me President of the Tyneside Naturalists' Field Club 

 for the year 1887. The distinction was not justified by my 

 possessing any scientific acquirements, but, I believe that in 

 bestowing it, you were actuated by a desire to mark my long 

 and intimate connection with your Club. 



It was a source of regret to me that in the earlier months of 

 my term of office I was unable to accompany the members on 

 three field days. My duties in connection with our Jubilee Exhi- 

 bition, an excusable local pride in the undertaking, and anxiety 

 for its success, monopolised the major portion of my time, and 

 debarred me from taking part in these enjoyable gatherings in 

 which I would fain have participated. 



The present is my thirty-fourth year of membership, and the 

 period will live in my recollection as a time of friendly inter- 

 course with such men as Mr. Albany Hancock, Mr. Joshua 

 Alder, Dr. Charlton, Mr. John Thompson, Mr. Geo. Wailes, and 

 others I could name ; men who have contributed to our know- 

 ledge of the Natural History of our district ; men who were 

 always anxious to assist and instruct our younger members; to 

 stimulate them to investigation and study, and to encourage 

 them in pursuits of which it has been said, that "taken even in 

 the light of a mere recreation for idle moments, they are at least 

 innocent and cheerful ; they never interfere with the comfort of 

 a neighbour or bring to the cultivator a single feeling of morti- 

 fication or regret." 



