OPENING ADDEESS. 3 



yet, in this Society, the strength of the tie which must 

 always exist between the two aspects is acknowledged, 

 and is this year brought into prominence by the position 

 which I fill to-night. 



"With these thoughts in my mind it seemed that I should 

 best discharge the first duties of my office by inviting 

 you to consider the close relations which must exist 

 between the two great aspects of Biological phenomena, 

 and I do so in the hope that both the physiologist and the 

 biologist may be led to the conclusion that a concurrent 

 study of these two aspects is essential if we would further 

 to our utmost the advance of biological knowledge. This 

 may seem as self-evident as an axiom, requiring no 

 argument to support it, no demonstration to enforce it ; 

 but whatever the extent to which it is recognised by the 

 judgment, it is not adequately recognised in point of fact; 

 for where a/e the physiological laboratories for the system- 

 atic study of comparative physiology, side by side with 

 comparative anatomy ? Isolated inquiries have been 

 undertaken, but systematic work and adequate equipment 

 for prosecuting that work on any one class of invertebrate 

 animals does not exist in connection with any Biological 

 or Physiological Department, not merely in this country 

 but in the whole of Europe and America, except perhaps 

 at Naples. 



It is surely time to consider to what extent it is possible 

 to combine the simultaneous study of the function and 

 the structure, not merely of man and of lower animals in 

 relation to man, but of each group of living things as such. 



In order to enforce this and show its value, I propose to 

 bring to your notice, some few typical instances, which 

 may serve to illustrate the enormous gain which a study, 

 such as I have indicated, would be both to the Biologist 

 and the Physiologist. 



