ADDRESS. 
Read by the President , Shephard T. Taylor, M.B., to the 
Members of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society, 
at their Twenty-first Annual Meeting , hebl at the Norfolk 
and Norwich Museum, March 25th, 1890. 
Ladies and Gentlemen, — When it was proposed a twelvemonth 
since to elect me your President for the year, I felt a very great 
reluctance to accept the cares of office, and that, not because I failed 
to appreciate the honour and dignity of the position, but because, 
being no naturalist, it seemed to me, I should be placing myself in 
a false position, if I occupied a chair that has hitherto had for its 
occupants gentlemen whose fame as naturalists extends far beyond 
the limits of our Eastern Counties. However, the powers that 
be insisted, and recollecting how many pleasant and instructive 
evenings I had spent within these walls, thanks to the labours of 
the numerous working members of this Society, I did not wish 
to appear to be guilty of the sin of ingratitude by consulting, 
exclusively, my own private feelings in the matter. On these 
grounds I claim the indulgence of my hearers, if my address 
should reveal the fact, as it most certainly will, that its unfortunate 
composer has no practical acquaintance with the subjects he 
handles. 
It is gratifying to remark that there has been no lack of good 
papers and animated discussions during the past year, as you all 
know very well. If anything, the evenings have been too short, 
rather than too long, for the papers that had to be read and 
discussed. The Secretary has had to remind mo almost every 
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