11 
^Ir. (leldart named, amongst others, the Jasmine, Gardenia and 
Tuberrose, as examples, and referred to the carrion plant to show 
that dark colouring was not incompatible with a most disagreeable 
odour. Mr. Barrett told us, that the sweetest flowers were not 
the most attractive to insects ; and the discussion ended by a 
proposition asking Mr. decks to favour the Society with the 
observations and facts on which he grounded his opinions. !Mr. 
Jocks very kindly answered this invitation by another paper on the 
same subject, of which — as J regret I had not the opportunity of 
hearing it — I am unable to give you any account ; but I gather 
from the minutes of the Society’s proceeding that, although he 
entered more fully into his theory, ho did not, any more than on 
the former occasion, convince the members of the truth of it, or 
supply the facts on which it was based. 
j\lr. decks’ paper is the only one in which, during the past year, 
any allusion has been made to the views and opinions of Mr. 
Darwin. This is a matter for regret, as there are no subjects so 
suitable for the consideration and discussion of such a Society as 
this, as the various debateable points which have been raised by 
the author of the “ Origin of Species.” It was on this account I 
endeavoured to induce Dr. Bateman to read to this Society the 
paper which he delivered at the Victoria Institute of London, and 
which gave rise to a prolonged controversy in the columns of a 
local newspaper, between the author, a Mr. Lyon, and one of our 
members, Mr. F. Harmer. Dr. Bateman’s paper has, however, he 
informs us, considerable theological bearings, and he considers it 
more suitable for the Churchman’s Club than for the Xaturalists’ 
Society ; this I regret, as issues so important as those Dr. Bateman 
has raised, would be much better discussed in a scientific society, 
than in a theological club, or in the columns of a newspaper but 
this is not the time, although it certainly is the place, to discuss 
these matters. I content myself by simply saying, that the “orifdn 
of .species,” the theory of evolution, and other I)ar^cinian doctrines, 
cannot be proved or disproved by newspaper controversy, or theo- 
logical discussion. Tlio ex]ierience and history of the past will, 
iloiditle.ss, he rojii'afed, when the prejudice which at present 
