130 
NATURE NOTES 
President. 
The Right Hon. LORD AVEBURY, D.C.L., F.K.S., &c. 
T rustees. 
The Right Hon. LORD AVEBURY, D.C.L., F.R.S., &c. 
G. A. MUSGRAVE, Esg., F.Z.S., F.R.G.S. 
Vice-Presidents. 
O. V. Aplln, Esq., F.L.S. 
Prof. G. S. Boulger, F.L.S., F.G.S., Hon. 
Editor. 
The Hon. Mrs. R. C. Boyle. 
Mrs. Brightwen, F.E.S. 
The Right Hon. James Bryce, M.P. 
Charles Burt, Esq., J.P. 
The Rev. H. E. U. Bull, M.A. 
Dudley W. Buxton, Esq., M.D., D.Sc., 
M R.C.P. 
The Right Hon. Sir Mountstuart E. Grant 
Duff, G.C.S.I., F.R.S. 
W. Warde Fowler, Esq., M.A. 
The Right Hon. Sir Edward Fry. 
The Right Hon. Sir Edward Grey, M.P. 
The Rev. Professor Henslow, M.A., F.L.S. 
Mrs. Arthur Hill. 
Prof. F. E. Hulme, F.L.S. 
Sir Robert Hunter, M.A. 
Council. 
G. B. Longstaff, Esq., M,D. 
Mrs. Mailelli. 
Mrs. Charles Matthew’s. 
Hon. J. Scott Montague, M.P. 
G. M. ^Tu^ray, Esq., F.R.S., F.L.S. 
G. A. Musgrave, Esq.. F.Z.S., F.R.G.S. 
Mrs. G. A. Musgrave. 
Mrs. Percy Myles. 
J. L. Ottei, Esq. 
Earl Percy, M.P. 
Mrs. E. Phillips. 
The Rev. Canon H. D. Rawnsley, M.A. 
R. Bowdler Sharpe, Esq., LL.D., F.L.S. 
The Right Hon. The Earl of Selborne. 
The Right Hon. The Earl of Stamford. 
W. Whitaker, Esq.,<B.A., F.R.S., F.G.S. 
R. Holt While, Esq. 
A. W. Wills, Esq. 
George Avenell, Esq. 
Geo. Rowland Blades, Esq., F.R.G.S. 
F. Downing, Esq., F.S.I. 
J. Hennell, Esq., B.A. 
Mrs. F. E. Lemon, F.Z.S. 
A. Holte Macpherson, Esq., B.C.L., M.A., 
F.Z.S. 
Arthur E. Malaher, Esq. 
Basil W. Martin, Esq., F.Z.S. 
Edward A. Martin, Esq., F.G.S. 
C. M. Miilhberg, Esq. 
L. E. Taylor, Esq. 
A. B. Wilkinson, Esq. 
Lord Avebury having returned thanks for his re-election, 
Professor Boulger then said that now the election of officers 
was over he would venture to tell them a secret, namely, that a 
year ago his lordship had said something to him about resigning. 
He (Professor Boulger) naturally pooh-poohed the suggestion 
at once, as they did not intend to part with Lord Avebury, 
who had that evening shown there was no reason whatever for 
making that suggestion. There were some people who were too 
old to learn. A book had been published within the last few 
weeks, in which his lordship and many other naturalists were 
attacked by an anonymous, though apparently by no means 
youthful writer. The book might have received serious atten- 
tion had it appeared at an earlier period. When they were told 
that structures such as Lord Avebury had described were merely 
interesting variations, and that it was triviality to suggest that 
structure implied use, they must conclude that such a person as 
the writer of the book had been asleep for the last twenty years. 
Lord Avebury had certainly not been asleep for twenty years. 
He proceeded to testify to the varied work done by Lord 
Avebury, through whom it was that the abolition of the use of 
ospreys in the army was brought about. As to the numerous 
ways in which Lord Avebury had promoted the growth of 
natural history, he cited the fact that only a lew months ago he 
had pleased them with a volume on scenery, and now he had 
given them a purely botanical discourse of the very greatest 
