INAUGURAL ADDRESS 



ON 



" WEEDS OF OUR FIELDS, WAYSIDES 

 AND TOWNS." 



BY THE 



Rev. T. S. LEA, M.A., President. 



[Read Friday, Oct. 9th, 1903.] 



A man with neither time nor opportunity for experi- 

 mental Biology, when called to the office of President of 

 this Society, feels at first a little startled, and turns to see 

 what possible qualifications he has for the office. Follow- 

 ing- the many able exponents of the aims of Biology to 

 unify natural science, he is at a decided disadvantage. 

 Nevertheless, there is a comforting and hopeful saying, of 

 self-evident wisdom, even if not on the very highest 

 authority of all, that he who marvels shall be a king. 

 Which, as I understand it, means that the first step 

 towards the knowledge that is effective, the first promise 

 of power to come, is the possession of a mind in which 

 wonder can be excited, which can see that even the 

 commonest things are marvellous. 



And, perchance, one who wants to know, may, if he 

 tries to find out, be a president among others his brethren 

 on the same quest, even though some of them may be 

 further on the road than he. " Yeil after veil will lift, 

 but there must be veil after veil behind." We are a very 

 long way from the end of knowledge, from the fruition of 

 our kingdom when he who is king shall rest. 



