174 TlMEHRI. 
and His goodness. I say reverent and humble study, 
because while the great NEWTON said he was like a 
child gathering pebbles on the shore of the great 
ocean of knowledge, we have now-a-days very small 
NEWTONS who, like the fool mentioned in Scripture, say 
there is no God, and who boldly wading into that same 
ocean, get out of their depth and perish. 
As we are honoured this evening with the presence of 
ladies, let me not omit to remind you that in the list of 
scientific workers and writers there are the names of 
many illustrious women. Without mentioning others, I 
may tell any ladies present who are given to shriek at a 
spider, or who believe the insides of all caterpillars to be 
a mere confused squash that in past days by Mdlle. 
JURINE and in our own time by Miss Ormerod large 
additions have been made to knowledge of insects and 
insect life. To the last named lady this society and the 
colony were indebted if I recolle6t rightly, for valuable 
information as to one or more of our insect pests. But 
I believe we have among us, if only a few, still one or 
two lady naturalists —may their example be followed. 
It was with a view of kindling a desire for scientific 
knowledge, of imparting information and of affording 
means of rational recreation that these le6tures 
were suggested. We have in the colony fortu- 
nately a number of gentlemen who are well qualified to 
instruct and entertain us, and the directors have received 
promises of help from some of these, and look for the 
co-operation of others. We hope to obtain one or more 
lectures from Mr. Jenman, whose researches in the 
Flora of the colony have been attended with such success ; 
Mr. FRANCIS, the Government Chemist, whose contri- 
