178 
president’s address. 
I also wish to call attention to what may be aptly 
termed economic natural history—I mean the study of such 
creatures as are injurious to agriculture—with a view to work 
out their life history, and if possible to point out the best 
method of preventing their depredations ; to distinguish the 
non-injurious from the injurious kinds, and so to prevent the 
sacrifice of many innocent victims to popular ignorance or 
prejudice. A good work of this description is being done by 
Miss Ormerod on behalf of the Royal Agricultural Society, 
and I feel sure that many of our county Natural History 
Societies might follow in her footsteps, both to the advantage 
of the farmer and to the credit of the society. 
The compilation of local lists of the fauna and flora ought 
to be undertaken by the different societies in their respective 
districts and published under their auspices. Such lists 
would form valuable works of reference, and be of incalcu¬ 
lable use in future years. Should such work be decided upon 
no delay ought to take place, as in all probability many of 
our animals and plants which are still to be found in locali¬ 
ties suitable to their respective habits will in a short time 
become extinct. This is especially true of many of our rarer 
ferns, which in some districts could be found growing plenti¬ 
fully a few years back, but are now only conspicuous by their 
absence, which is principally due to the depredation of tourists 
and exchange clubs. I remember a spot in Hants where 
Osmunda regalis grew so plentifully that the labourers used to 
cut the fronds for litter; but owing to the demand for speci¬ 
mens the place is now cleared. 
I think the amalgamated societies might well raise their 
protest against such proceedings, and I feel confident that 
unanimous action on their part would have a satisfactory 
result. 
The principal utility of Natural History Societies, in my 
opinion, is the finding of employment for the leisure hours of 
those who are engaged in commercial or other pursuits. In 
this way the Birmingham Natural History and Microscopical 
Society has been of great service to me. The recreation to 
which membership of such a society leads is not only 
deeply interesting and instructive, but practically affords tlie 
greatest amount of rest, inasmuch as different muscles are 
called into play, while the mind is differently occupied. 
This change of function produces a great feeling of rest, far 
greater than that which results from sitting in an armchair, 
doing nothing, which to me is a state of semi-torture; and 
it is from this point of view that I have taken up Ornithology 
as my hobby. 
