202 Anniversary Address. 



and that we have been on every occasion favoured with 

 almost perfect weather. In due course the reports of 

 these meetings will be completed, and perhaps it is for 

 the convenience of members that they should contain, as 

 far as possible, the sole record of their proceedings. 



Looking back some 20 years, one finds that the 

 numbers of the Club have, since that date, practically 

 doubled. When I joined in 1872, we were little over 

 200, and now the limit of 400 must be very nearly 

 reached. This increase has necessarily influenced, to 

 some extent, the size of our meetings, but I question 

 whether the real work of the Club is greater or of more 

 value than formerly. 



It must be remembered that the addition to our 

 membership has not been followed by a corresponding 

 change in our constitution, and doubtless there are 

 difficulties in promoting systematic research and cohesion 

 in large societies, which do not exist when the dimensions 

 are smaller; and these difficulties naturally would, and, 

 I think, have become, more apparent in our case, as the 

 number of those who were members, in the early days 

 of the Club, has gradually been reduced by death. 



It will, I think, be generally admitted that for the 

 most valuable information in Natural Science' we are 

 largely dependent on continuous and reliable observers 

 resident in the various localities, and it has occurred to 

 me therefore, whether, by means of some simple internal 

 organization, more of the 400 members could be enlisted 

 actively in the cause, and, at the same time, the results 

 obtained be communicated in a more matured state to 

 our worthy Secretary, so that needless correspondence 

 and trouble should be avoided. 



Having been for many years a fairly active member 

 of the Club, and, 1 hope, established the character of 

 one of its warmest well-wishers, I think I may, without 

 fear of misconstruction, offer a few observations on the 

 subject, that may be found not altogether unworthy of 

 consideration. 



