18 
therefore, if we can have some discussion on the subject our Society 
will he all the more animated, and possibly we might add a httle to 
the progress of science in this particular. 
Then as to fish, we have a capital river, besides the broads, and I 
do not know any spot in the country, till you go to the lakes, where 
ichthyology could be better studied. 
Then as to expeditions, we propose next month to go over to see 
the Scoulton gulls ; or to Horstead, either with or without our 
geological friends. Those expeditions, I hope, will present great 
variety of interest. "We have one feature which does not occur, I 
believe, amongst the geologists — we have admitted the ladies 
amongst us, not out of compliment or flattery, nor yet upon the 
principle of Miss Lydia Becker, but I do hope they will attend, and 
that we will get information and co-operation from them, and that 
we shall have them accompanying us on our expeditions. 
I have laid before you what seems to me a rough sketch of the 
various Imes in which our Society may direct its efforts. Professor 
Huxley told us the other day that all naturahsts are, by character 
and by nature, huntsmen. I believe Huxley is right. All natural- 
ists and lovers of nature are in some degree inspired with a love of 
hunting. It is a glorious excitement and a glorious pursuit, only 
let us remember that we are students, and that it takes many facts 
to make a truth — many facts must be gathered together into your 
crucible, and the fire of patient investigation applied to them, be- 
fore you get the little shining globule of truth. 
AVe shall require the assistance of the members of all parts of our 
Society j we shall require careful, patient help, and hard work, 
which is the work most healthy, most exciting, and most uniting. 
The work done by our fathers and predecessors will be useful to us, 
but we shall have to verify it and take nothing upon trust, and we 
must also try to get some new facts for ourselves. The works Ave 
study are the Avorks of Him to Avhom nothing is small and nothing 
too large nothing so great but that it is made up of what is small, 
minute, and infinitesimal. 
