8 



Primrose, that " the cosmogony, or creation of the world, has puzzled 

 the philosophers of every age." If any member of this Association 

 should attempt to waste our time and wander from our purpose, by 

 dancing through the mazes of so notorious a puzzle, it will be the 

 very simple duty of whoever occupies the Chair which I have now 

 the honour to rill, to remind him that this is not a stage for the dis- 

 play of any theory of the earth's origin that he may happen to 

 patronize ; bat that, if he has been so happy as to dig out of this 

 veritable earth, as we actually find it, any of those truths which it 

 is always ready to reveal to the patient searcher, we shall be de- 

 lighted to listen to the story of the finding of his treasures. 



The aim of the founders of this Association is, that those who, 

 whether from the intelligent interest which the thoughtful man 

 must always take in the phenomena that surround him, or from the 

 professional pursuits in which they are engaged, are in the habit of 

 searching among and handling the groups of facts which relate to 

 the science of Geology, shall find, here, a means of intercommunica- 

 tion, by which the facts gathered up by each shall be continually 

 recorded, and the relations they have to one another, and to former 

 facts, be able to be continually brought forward and tested. It is 

 for those who are thus actively engaged in looking into Nature, that 

 we exist as an Association. It would be doing a great injustice to 

 the number of intelligent men who satisfy the natural curiosity of 

 the student, by supplying him with specimens for scientific study, 

 if we interfered, in any way, with the mercantile demand that the 

 study of Geology has raised for fossils and rock minerals. The result 

 will, unquestionably, be the reverse : for the extension of the sound 

 study of every subject, always extends the demand for all the 

 means to that study. But it is necessary that no mistake should 

 exist as to the fact that this Association has not the least idea of 

 keeping stores of specimens, to be distributed to its members. Its 

 printed proceedings, besides announcing every fresh finding of hidden 

 treasures, will record every communication received from those 

 among our Members who desire to exchange specimens of one For- 

 mation, with which their locality happens to abound, for specimens 

 of other Formations with which they have not the same means of 

 becoming familiar. It will thus be a most valuable assistance to 

 the active collector. The line thus drawn is, however, well marked. 



