95
THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS, DELIVERED
AT THE NINTH ANNUAL MEETING,
JANUARY 26th, 1889.
By EDWARD A. FITCH, F.L.S., F.E.S. Sc.
Ladies and Gentlemen,—In addressing you from the chair this
evening, to which I have, by your kindness, been re-elected, I accept
it as a rule, in common with my predecessors, that the outgoing
President at the Annual General Meeting should do something
towards reviewing the labours of the Club, and deliver an address.
I take this opportunity of thanking you for the forbearance and
general goodwill shown me while I have held this office, and trust that
like kindness may be extended to me for another year, and I solicit
your indulgence while I make a few general remarks on the work that
we have done and that which lies before us.
The question has been hinted, "Is this Club doing all it can
towards fulfilling the purposes contemplated by its founders? "Our
success has certainly been great, our progress in many respects rapid,
and doubtless the stability of the Club is now assured. It is not for
me to celebrate the Club's praises, still I think I. may congratulate
you, as I do most cordially, on its increasing popularity and
prosperity. It is rather my province, in reviewing our labours for
the past year, to enquire whether there are any ways of improvement
and advance practicable.
Our Ordinary Meetings, no fewer than twelve in number during
the past year, have been, as heretofore, remarkably well attended,
bearing in mind the fact that our members are much scattered. The
gathering together of so many people, with the definite object of
bringing under their notice much information by means of papers and
the exhibition of specimens, cannot fail to be of advantage in kindling
amongst us a new interest in one or other of the various branches of
natural history. I trust that every member is fully determined to
contribute his mite to the general stock of information on any given
subject with which he is conversant; it is this spirit I wish to see
fully represented at our meetings, so that the advancement of science
and consequent increase of knowledge may be aided by the Club's
existence in our county.
I am pleased to say that, during the past year, the number of our
Field Meetings has largely increased. We have held eight, two