14 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
to natural history, Mr Andrew Murray, who has enriched our 
Proceedings by his Zoological papers, and particularly his 
contributions on the Coleoptera of Calabar, and the Ma- 
lapterurus beninensis. To Dr Cleland we owe some valuable 
anatomical papers, especially on the structure of Malapterurus ; 
and we also owe our thanks to Dr M'Bain, and Mr Peach, 
and to Dr John Alex. Smith, our indefatigable Secretary, for 
their excellent papers. 
We have to lament the want of the contributions to Geo- 
logy which used to come to us from the pens of Fleming and 
Miller, and we have not been able during last session to in- 
duce other geologists, such as Mr Chambers, to favour us with 
papers. 
We may hope that this session will be characterized by 
greater vigour in all departments. 
For myself I must plead guilty to having done little for the 
Society, chiefly because my botanical efforts are made in con- 
nection with the kindred Botanical Society. 
I would desire to urge upon all the members the importance 
of bringing before the Society communications, however short, 
on the departments of Natural and Physical Science to which 
they are attached. There are few indeed who cannot contri- 
bute something. It is impossible for a careful observer, when 
he examines natural phenomena, not to detect some point of 
interest which has been overlooked. Brief notices are always 
useful, and no one should be deterred from coming forward by 
an idea that what he has to state is not of much importance. 
Let the young naturalist begin at once to record his observa- 
tions,—let him get into the habit of noting facts as they 
occur, — and he will find the benefit of this mode of procedure 
in his after career. 
We have before us a noble and inexhaustible subject of 
study. None is better fitted for mental training, and none 
exercises a more beneficial effect on the observing powers. 
At the present day natural history is assuming a higher 
position in our courses of study, and as a Society we are called 
u[)on to aid in promoting such a system of education as shall 
render our Edinburgh school famous in the annals of science. 
The phenomena presented by the material world around us 
