340 
president’s address. 
deal with local subjects, or that have some local bearing. In 
adopting such a course we may at times refuse papers of great 
originality and value ; but such papers, though the Society be 
honoured by their reception, are out of place in our records if they 
have no reference or application to the county of Norfolk. It may 
be of great service to read them at our meetings ; but if printed in 
our ‘ Transactions,’ they are likely either to be overlooked by 
students at work on the particular subjects, or to be absent from 
any library to which they have access. The vitality of all societies 
must vary from time to time, and it is not to be expected that 
a publication of uniform size can be maintained. 
An individual, presumably a naturalist, who writes under the 
pseudonym of “Free Lance,” has lately published some lamentations 
‘ On the Organisation of Science.’ * He would abolish all 
provincial scientific societies, and have in their place local sections 
of the principal learned societies of London — such local sections of 
the Linnean, Geological, Zoological, and other societies to be 
formed “ whenever in any one town or district there is a sufficiency 
of members.” Then might there be but one publishing society for 
each branch of science ! It is certainly a serious disadvantage that 
original papers of wide importance should be scattered among so 
many publications ; and it seems to me that in some of the larger 
towns and cities the plan suggested by “ Free Lance ” might be 
carried out. At the same time I feel assured that there will 
always be room and need for local Natural History Societies or 
Field-clubs, and for their publications. If their work is essentially 
of a local character it is not unimportant on that account ; but 
when new species are discovered, the descriptions of them, which 
have a world-wide interest, should in all cases be sent to one of the 
London publications. It would be well, indeed, if a local society 
were established in every county ; and a useful feature in their 
proceedings would be an annual list and brief account of books and 
memoirs published elsewhere, on subjects that illustrate or describe 
facts relating to the local natural history. Perhaps we may set an 
example in this matter ourselves. 
* 8vo. Loudon (Williams and Norgale), 1892, pp. 32. 
