16 LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
be thoroughly done by men who make science the business 
of their lives. And we may, therefore, sincerely con- 
eratulate ourselves that we have as our moving spirit 
Professor Herdman, of University College, and as our 
secretary his able colleague, Mr. Harvey Gibson. We 
look to these gentlemen to regulate our meetings, to find 
out what each of us can do and make him do it, to draw 
up our transactions, to keep us in communication with 
other societies, to organize dredging cruises and field 
excursions, if these should come within our programme :— 
in short, we look to them to be our pilots. Through them, 
too, we hope to be kept in touch with the_ biological 
department of University College. That department, young 
as it is, hampered for want of proper laboratories, and. 
with only the nucleus of a Natural History collection, can 
yet give us valuable help, while the relationship between 
the Society and the College will be a source of mutual aid 
and strength. And the events of the last few weeks have 
shown us, that we may hope with confidence some day to 
have a biological department worthy of the city and of 
the College. The noble things that have been done for 
the engineering department by Sir A. B. Walker and 
Mr. Thomas Harrison will produce imitators. There are 
plenty of good and generous men who will give their 
money, when they know that it is well deserved and well 
spent. It has been said that it is a difficult thing to give 
away ten thousand pounds, so as not to produce much 
heart-burning, or even to do positive harm. But whoever 
may find it in his heart to build a place, where the study 
of life and living things may be carried out, will be striking 
a rock from which shall flow a perennial spring, to slake 
the parched lips of those who thirst after learning, and to 
water the roots of the tree of knowledge. 
Gentlemen, I thank you again very warmly ae the 
