166 Anniversary Address. 



shrubs after the rain came was truly remarkable, and garden 

 flowers ran to stem and leaf with the most extraordinary 

 rankness and luxuriance. My own garden resembled a 

 fox-covert more than anything else ! Sweet Peas grew 10 

 or 12 feet high, and sunflowers got far beyond any poles we 

 had to tie them to, while their heads got to such an enormous 

 size that they simply broke their own necks and fell off. 



Now, my friends, when I have had to listen to a dis- 

 course of almost any kind, I have generally estimated its 

 value according to its brevity; I shall therefore not inflict 

 any more of my discourse upon you. By way of endeavour- 

 ing to be not an absolutely useless President, I hand a few 

 Natural History Notes to Mr Hardy for the Transactions of 

 this year, and I produce a fac-simile (as near as may be) of 

 one of the enormous leaves that grew on our oaks when 

 recovering from the effects of frost in the terrible winters of 

 18 78-0 and 1880-1. Mr Hardy will remember my writing 

 to him on the matter. The present specimen is the largest 

 1 found, and measured 16 inches by 7 when dry. 



I beg to propose Mr John Scott Dudgeon of Longnewton 

 as our President for next year, hoping he will be a better 

 one than I have been. 



I beg to thank you for the honour you have done me, and 

 also for the patience with which you have listened to me. 



