244 



The Scottish Naturalist. 



For the Conference of Delegates of the Corresponding Societies 

 at the Newcastle meeting Mr. Francis Galton was appointed 

 Chairman, and Prof. Bonney Vice-chairman, and Prof. Lebour 

 Secretary : this concluded the routine business of the day, to be 

 followed in the evening by the President's opening address. 



At this St. George's Volunteer Drill Hall was filled almost to 

 overflowing ; for not only do all the members make a point of being 

 present, but all the elite of the neighbourhood are usually invited. 

 Precisely at 8 p.m. Sir Frederick Bramwell, the retiring President, 

 accompanied by Prof. W. H. Flower, Director of the Natural 

 History Department of the British Museum, the President-elect, 

 and by Lord Armstrong, the Mayor and the Sheriff of Newcastle, 

 and a large number of distinguished men of science, ascended the 

 platform. The retiring President, in a few happily chosen and 

 appropriate sentences, introduced his successor ; who at once pro- 

 ceeded to read his inaugural address. Its subject was the 

 organisation, arrangement, management and educational value of 

 Natural History Museums ; a very appropriate subject for a presi- 

 dential address at a Newcastle meeting, inasmuch as that town is 

 said to possess the best museum of the kind in the kingdom 

 out of London. It was a subject in every way to be commended ; 

 for there are few matters at the present time upon which the 

 words of a learned expert are more valuable. Prof. Flower 

 protested strongly against the singularly unperfect forms in which 

 most of the specimens in zoological collections are presented, 

 owing to the low level at which, speaking generally, the art of 

 taxidermy remains, The museum at Newcastle is one of the 

 exceptions that proves the rule, for it is well known that its curator, 

 Mr. Hancock, is not only a naturalist, but also an artist in bird- 

 stuffing. The learned professor further enforced the obvious truth 

 that, valuable and indispensable as museums are, they cannot 

 teach us everything, even in the Department of Natural History. 

 Zoology is the science of living beings, and of many of the higher 

 problems of life skins and skeletons can teach us but little. Of 

 very much, he reminded his audience, we are entirely ignorant ; 

 but to know our ignorance is the beginning of knowledge. 



On Thursday, Sept. 1 2th ; at 1 1 a.m., the respective Section-rooms 

 were fairly well filled, and the first business in each was, as usual, 

 an address by the President of the Section on some new informa- 

 tion or recent discovery, pertaining to the branch of science dealt 



