148 president's ADDRE8S. 



M'lieii the l)rood is hatclied, take the now empty nest, ])ut vour 

 imitation eggs in it, and add it to your collection. 



It seems possible that in admitting first myself, and soon 

 aftenvards Miss AJellish, to your Council Hoard, you had in 

 view a closer connection l)et\veen the Natural Sc^ience Society 

 and the Education System of the Islands. 



Whatever the cause may be which we have at heart, it 

 is usually important to get hold of the rising generation if 

 we can. Keligious bodies, alas, fight for the schools. Lord 

 Roberts seeking citizen soldiers seeks them in the schools. 

 And so, your Society honestly believing in the importance 

 of its Avork, and seeking for recruits lo fill the vacancies which 

 must occur from time to time, turns a hopefid eye towards the 

 schools, and rightly so. The schools are also looking to such 

 Societies as ours. 



The other day our branch of the Teachers' Guild were 

 discussing the possibility of a Manual of Guernsey Antiquities 

 for teachers of History. For such a purpose the help of 

 this Society Avould be essential. 



Teachers are discovering that Nature Study links up Avell 

 with Drawing, with English Composition and Avith Geography. 

 Then there is the light it throws on the Nature metaphors 

 and similes strewn broadcast over Literature, to say nothing 

 of the countless new metaphors and similes Avhicli it Avill supply 

 to future poets. And there be that say our stock of 

 metaphors requires replenishing. 



To sum up these remarks : 



L — Naturalists must be caught young. 

 2. — But junior members cannot appreciate or 

 utilise the Avork of experts Avithout some teaching. 

 The schools must do their part. And at Elizabeth 

 College 1 hope a room in the Ozanne Laboratory 

 Avill be at once labelled Natural Science lioom. 



3. — The schools are beginning to do their part. 



Well, ladies and gentlemen, if Nature Study becomes, 

 as it threatens to become, the form Avhich Elementary Science 

 takes in all our schools, then surely there is a great future 

 before such a Society as this. 



Hitherto, Ave haA^e had to rely for members of any real 

 value on those few Avhom natural bent, or far more often 

 family influence, or it may be professional studies, have intro- 

 duced to some department of Natural Science. Among our 

 junior members at the present moment I can only think of tAA'^o 

 Avho shoAv a real aptitude, and in both cases there is heredity at 

 work. But all this Avill soon be changed. When all have 



