512 
president's address. 
study of botauy as then understood, — one of them having been the 
first to raise Lycopodium from its spores— and, as has been truly 
said, it is not improbable that their researches and example first 
incited to similar pursuits the distinguished botanists, for which, at 
a later period, the County of Norfolk became noted. 
It would be tiresome to review too minutely the published work 
of the Society, but the very full “Meteorological Notes” for the 
past twenty-three years, must be possessed of value, and the highly 
interesting series of twenty unpublished letters from Gilbert White, 
addressed to Eobert Marsh am, F.E.S., of Stratton Strawless, and 
that gentleman’s replies, which, through the kindness of the latter’s 
great-great-grandson, the late Eev. H. P. Marsham, and the late 
Professor Bell, we were the means of first publishing, are certainly 
deserving of mention. It has been our object whilst not altogether 
rejecting papers of more general interest, to confine ourselves as 
much as possible to matters of local interest, such as would reason- 
ably be looked for in the ‘ Transactions ’ of a local Society. 
Nor have we been unmindful of the duties enjoined in Sections I. 
and II. of our code of “objects,” namely, of striving to procure 
protection for indigenous birds and plants, and discouraging the 
practice of destroying rare and occasional ornithological visitors, 
and I think on the occasion of the remarkable second visitation of 
Pallas’s Sand Grouse, our inlluence was successfully employed with 
the Norfolk landowners and occupiers in inducing them to attempt 
the solution of the interesting problem as to whether or not this 
remarkable species would establish itself with us ; the result was 
not a success, but before legislation was introduced for that purpose 
the good feeling of the Norfolk sportsmen had commenced the 
experiment by ceasing to molest the flocks which were scattered 
over the County, and on the occasion of the visit of a migratory 
Bustard to the haunts to which this species had so long been a 
stranger, one member of our Society used his utmost endeavours to 
prevent its molestation, whilst another member supplied it with a 
mate, and but for the setting in of weather of great severity, it is 
impossible to say what might have been the result of the interesting 
experiment. I think we may be pardoned if we feel both pride 
