Meetings, 1885. 



27 



any means characterise the narrow geographical field to which 



we are confined, and which we have set ourselves to study, as 

 a barren one ; yet it must be conceded that compared to the 

 more extensive, and certainly far richer ones which are of easy 

 access to English and French societies akin to our own, we 

 stand at a great disadvantage. And it is very evident that 

 with whatever zeal or ardour we may cultivate our own 

 circumscribed area, it can never be productive of those 

 important results or discoveries which at once give a name to 

 a society, or launch it to a front rank in the scientific world. 

 Let us refer to the geological formation of our little island for 

 an illustration of our meaning. It must at once be allowed 

 that it is far from affording the same chances for discovery, or 

 the same attractions to the student, as the richer rocks and 

 strata of England and France, where easily accessible localities 

 soon enable the searcher to enrich his collections with minerals 

 reflecting all the colours of the rainbow, crystals of all 

 geometric forms and of exquisite beauty, and fossil remains of 

 animals and plants, as perfectly moulded upon the hard rock, 

 as if impressed thereon but yesterday, although dating from 

 untold ages before the appearance of man upon our planet. 

 If our land Flora and Fauna afford us more scope for investi- 

 gation, it must yet be acknowledged, that however interesting 

 these branches of study may be, we can scarcely expect to 

 throw any fresh light on what has already been written about 

 them ; or to add to the species which have been given by 

 those who have preceded us. One great desideratum, however, 

 remains to be realized in connection with both these studies ; 

 and it is one which our Society may profitably take up ; and 

 for the carrying out of which, it will deserve, and no doubt 

 will receive the thankful recognition of all true friends of 

 science at home and abroad. I refer to the collection, preser- 

 vation, and classification of all such local specimens in both 

 these departments of natural history, as can be thus treated, 



