Meetings, 1888. 



43 



The Sixth Annual Meeting of the Society ivas held at the Guille- 

 Alles Library, December ISth, 1888, Mr. John Whitehead^ 

 President, in the chair. 

 The Hon. Secretary read the Annual Eeport, as follows : — 

 " But few words will be necessary to record the work of 

 the Society during the past year, the sixth of its existence. 

 Our numbers have slightly decreased, old members have left 

 the island, and others have not been found to replace them. 

 Owing to various circumstances fewer indoor meetings than 

 usual have been held during the past year, and only two excur- 

 sions have been made. 



The Committee made another attempt this year to en- 

 courage research among the younger members of the com- 

 munity, by offering on this occasion prizes for the best collection 

 of Seaweeds and Shells gathered in the Bailiwick of Guernsey. 

 Every effort was made to give publicity to the offers. Public 

 attention was drawn to them in the columns of the Local Press* 

 Papers giving details of the prizes offered, and also brief 

 directions about mounting the seaweeds were printed and circu- 

 lated ; copies were sent to the various schools, but very little 

 interest was shewn in the matter. Three very fair collections of 

 seaweeds were sent in, and to each a prize of eight francs was 

 awarded. There seems little, therefore, to encouraga the 

 Committee to make similar offers in the future. 



The great want seems to be the giving simple but interest- 

 ing instruction in natural science in our schools. This might 

 easily be done by means of object lessons, illustrated, where 

 possible by the natural objects or by some of the excellent 

 prints and diagrams now published. " Natural history read- 

 ing books " might also be introduced with advantage. 



The Committee propose to publish as soon as possible 

 lists of the ferns and flowering plants, and also of the Lepidop- 

 tera of the island. These lists (the former prepared by Messrs. 

 Derrick and De La Mare, the latter by Mr. Luff) are almost 

 ready for the press. 



