ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS 243 



The work contains a large number of Plates, illustrating 

 the specimens obtained by deep sea dredging. These are 

 most beautiful, and convey an impression to the general 

 reader of the wonderful variety and delicacy of nature's 

 organisms which he fails to get from the scientific 

 nomenclature of the text ; and to the learned these are 

 invaluable supplements to what they may regard as the 

 more scientifically accurate definitions and description in 

 the text of the report. 



The whole work was edited by Sir John Murray, and the 

 passing it through the press occupied quite a number of 

 years. 



Such then are the contents of these 44 volumes. A joint 

 committee was formed not long since to arrange the best 

 method of making the books available to members of the 

 two institutions, and doubtless the committee will shortly 

 take means to let this be known as soon as their decision is 

 come to. 



Of course the principal features in the history of the Club 

 are the Field Meetings, of which there have been five, exclud- 

 ing that ot to-day. Written Reports of them are now in 

 draft, and I only to-day pro forma lay them on the table. 

 It is needless for me to deal with them in any detail, as they 

 will appear in the Proceedings of the year when published. 

 Suffice it to say that those who were able to attend found 

 infinite courtesy at the hands of all with whom we were 

 brought into touch. I was able myself to be at everyone of 

 the meetings, and have to thank those members who rallied 

 round the President for making our gatherings in every way 

 agreeable. Some places we visited were invaded for the 

 first time by the Club, others again were only new to 

 younger members. I believe we may fairly consider that 

 not a few interesting facts have been learnt and some 

 valuable information gained during this year's Rambles 

 after Natural Science, but of this you will be best able to 

 judge when the Reports are in your hands. 



