26 PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. 



just passed through. He will also be remembered by us as an 

 efficient leader, an earnest worker and a dear friend. Whilst 

 giving most of his attention to botany, we have cause to 

 remember that he was learned in many other branches of 

 study. 



Fortunately for us we have still among us members who 

 are able to follow on in his footsteps and carry on the work of 

 the Society with fresh energy and fresh determination. Our 

 Botanical Section, led by Mr. Royle and Miss Dawber, will 

 not fail us ; they will, during the coming year, no doubt, com- 

 plete their flora, and then they will be free to study the 

 flowering plants of the island with a view to determine how 

 many and what kind of variations have occurred in our isolated 

 flora. We want this knowledge ; we wish to know not only 

 what plants exist, but if the conditions under which they exist 

 here are different from those under which the same plants 

 exist elsewhere. We also want to know if any noteworthy 

 variations have arisen in plants that have been growing here 

 since the last separation from the continent, as well as any and 

 all other points of scientific interest appertaining to their work. 



Entomology also has work to do on the same lines ; for 

 variations of insects under changing external conditions will 

 no doubt be found to have affected ours. We have to con- 

 gratulate ourselves on the very forward state of the lists, and 

 I think that all will agree that Mr. Luff's name will be 

 indelibly associated with Guernsey insects as long as those 

 insects shall be studied. 



I think it a matter of great regret that, though the 

 Society has been so many years in existence and has been so 

 successful in its sectional work, no student of Marine Zoology 

 has appeared among its members. Surely in an island like 

 this, with its immense advantages for the study and its known 

 adaptibility for the work, some one will take up this entertain- 

 ing and useful study and associate himself with us. If not, 

 then some of the active members now working in other 

 sections must turn their attention to this subject and save the 

 Society from the slur of being on a small island, one of the 

 best adapted for marine zoological work, and yet unable to 

 show a single working member in that branch of study. 



Whilst interested in all the work of the Society I feel 

 that I am more competent to speak of the geological work 

 than of that of the other branches, and you must bear with 

 me if I again take a ride on my favourite hobby. 



I have spoken of changing external conditions and the 

 possible influence which these changes may have had on 



