162 FIELD AND FOREST. 



we know of few organizations which may be made so mutually help- 

 ful or so socially pleasant for such a small outlay of money. What 

 Mrs. Glass said of the hare is true of societies of this kind. You must 

 first catch one or two people interested in some department of natural 

 science. There are few towns or districts in Great Britain now where 

 there does not reside some one who is a Fellow of one of the learned 

 societies, and who has so far won his spurs. Such an one is generally 

 willing to act as president, and to throw the weight of his influence 

 into the scheme. The secretary should always be selected on account 

 of the greater interest he takes in science, for we regard a good secre- 

 tary as really more useful to a society than a president. The meetings 

 of a young society should not be held too often, or there will be a 

 dearth of papers. Once a month, in the winter, is quite often enough j 

 and one paper only each night, the rest of the evening being taken 

 up with discussion. It is a good practice to encourage members to 

 bring something at every meeting for exhibition — something which 

 strikes them as singular, and which they do not understand. This 

 practice causes members to look out for objects, and develops the ob- 

 serving faculties. It is also useful in raising discussions and oral de- 

 scriptions at meetings, and perhaps, eventually, in originating papers. 



New societies should not aim to high. Let them accept papers on 

 any subject connected with natural history, and endeavour to raise 

 good discussions on them. The subscription fee should not be too 

 high — never more than half-a-crown or five shillings a year, or the 

 pocket will affect the members. We have invariably found the most 

 prosperous societies and clubs those which charged the smallest sub- 

 scriptions. In almost every village, to say nothing of towns, there 

 would be little difficulty in hiring, or even in obtaining free, some 

 school-room, either in connection with church or chapel. Indeed, 

 numerously attended churches and chapels have started scientific clubs 

 of their own, so beneficial has it been found to found a society that 

 will find intellectual work for young men. The rules of a young club 

 should be as few and simple as possible, and as free from penal clauses. 

 At first, it would be as well to think of nothing but mutual instruction 

 in scientific matters. Afterwards, the careful study and cataloguing 

 of the plants, insects, birds, fossils, &c, of the neighbourhood might 

 be considered. 



Some very young societies are ambitious early to appear in print, 



