PROCEEDINGS Of THE MEETING. 
107 
armadillos, which also obtain their food by the act of continual 
digging in the ground ; this coat of mail exceeds an inch in 
thickness. The Professor suggested his opinion, that one use of 
the bony armour is to prevent the annoyance which this class 
of animals would feel, without some such protection, from the 
constant presence of sand and dirt with which the act of digging 
and scratching for their daily food would otherwise fill their 
skins; its further use may be to afford protection against the 
myriads of insects that swarm in the regions frequented by these 
animals, and also against beasts of prey. 
The Professor concluded by stating, that this was but one of 
the many examples afforded by comparative anatomy of the in¬ 
exhaustible richness of contrivances whereby Nature has adapt¬ 
ed every animal to a comfortable and happy existence in that 
state wherein it was destined to move; and added, that the re¬ 
searches of Geology tended not only to afford similar examples 
of contrivance, indicating the wisdom, and goodness, and care 
of the Creator over all his works, but afforded also to natural 
theology a powerful auxiliary, showing from the unity of design 
and unity of structure, and from the symmetry and harmony 
that pervade all organic beings in the fossil world, as wdl as in 
the present, that all have derived their existence from one and 
the same Almighty and Everlasting Creator. 
Professor Babbage then rose, and said, that before the Meet¬ 
ing separated he wished to express a feeling which he believed 
was general among the Members of the Association, that in the 
selection of the places at wdiich the Annual Meetings were to be 
held, attention should be paid to the object of bringing theoreti¬ 
cal science in contact with that practical knowledge on which 
the wealth of the country depends. “ I was myself,” said 
Mr. Babbage, particularly anxious for this, owing as I do a 
debt of gratitude for the valuable information which I have re¬ 
ceived in many of the manufacturing districts, where I have 
learned to appreciate still more highly than before, the value of 
those speculative pursuits which we follow 7 in our academical 
labours. I was one of those who thought at first that we ought 
to adjourn for our next Meeting to some large manufacturing 
town; but I am now satisfied that the arrangement which has 
been made will be best adapted to the present state of the Asso¬ 
ciation. When, however, it shall be completely consolidated, I 
trust we may be enabled to cultivate with the commercial in¬ 
terests of the country, that close acquaintance which I am 
confident will be highly advantageous to our more abstract 
pursuits.” 
