THE AX N UAL CONVERSAZIONE 103 
of Stamford and carried with acclamation. Mr. Bedford briefly 
replied. 
After a short interval, Lord Avebury delivered his Presi- 
dential Address, which lias already appeared in Nature Notes 
(May, 1907, pp. 81 to 85). 
The Hon. Walter Rothschild, Ph.D., M.P., proposed a very 
hearty vote of thanks to Lord Avebury, and said that he did 
so with much pleasure as he was one who had been interested 
in Natural History all his life. Professor Boulger seconded 
the motion, which was enthusiastically received and passed 
unanimously. 
As on previous occasions, Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb (Honorary 
Secretary) proposed, and Mr. C. M. Mtihlberg seconded, a vote 
of thanks to the First Commissioner of His Slajesty’s Office of 
Works and to the Civil Service Commission, for the use of the 
buildings. Lord Avebury then proposed a vote of thanks to the 
Chairman of Council, Dr. Dudley Buxton, the Council, and to the 
Honorary Secretary, which was seconded by the Earl of Stamford. 
Dr. Dudley Buxton replied as follows : The success of the 
Society was due to the individual efforts of its members. The 
control of the Society’s affairs rested with the Council, and his 
personal endeavours to promote the well-being of the Selborne 
Society owed any fruition which there might have been to the 
loyal help accorded him by the members of Council, whether 
elected by the central body or serving as delegates from branches. 
The success of the Conversazione — and he was glad to say it was 
a great success — was due to the Hon. Secretary, Mr. Wilfred 
Mark Webb, and those who had worked with him. Few could 
realise how much labour was necessary to achieve success, and 
he was glad to tell Mr. Webb how much his work was appre- 
ciated. The opportunity served to remind those who were 
present, whether they were members or not, that the Selborne 
Society was a very living society, which has undertaken impor- 
tant work in the past — how important was evidenced by the 
fact that many, if not all, its aims and lines of work had so 
attracted Nature-lovers that they had initiated fresh societies, 
whose aim was to specialise in some one direction. The National 
Trust and the Birds’ Preservation Society were cases in point. 
But the Selborne Society was not content to leave her work to 
others or to live upon achievements of bygone years. It was recog- 
nised by the Council that although much valuable work had been 
done by the Selborne Society in the past, there yet remained much 
more to be attempted and carried out in the future. Pleasant 
and useful as were the social side of the Society’s work — Con- 
versazione, Lectures, and Social Gatherings, there was a definite 
strenuous labour for the Selborne Society to perform, if it was 
to remain true to itself and carry out the objects which appeared 
in its rules, as the raison d'etre of its existence. To do this, the 
Council appealed to the members of the Society to be loyal to 
the work and to help the Council. Without such help the efforts 
