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THE PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS.
of new facts which must be gathered in and garnered, even if the
threshing out is left for other hands. The past year has brought
with it the invasion of the Sand Grouse among the birds and of the
Bedstraw Hawk-moth (Deilephila galii) among insects; the pheno-
menal flood of August 2nd, new railway works exposing interesting
geological sections, new well-borings made, &c., &c. The facts
concerning these may prove to be most valuable, and it is the pro-
vince of our Club, and the duty of each of its members, to see that
none such escape intelligent observation and accurate record.
On the other hand, there is now material still on hand that is
rapidly passing away. Mr. Miller Christy has lately shown in two
remarkable papers published in the "Field" (Nov.10th, 1888, p. 697 ;
and January 5th, 1889, p. 28) how, within the last few years in the
United States, millions of that grand beast the buffalo—probably
eight millions at least—have been killed for the sake of their hides,
worth three shillings and sixpence, and tongues worth eightpence,
every particle of the remainder being wasted ; the buffalo is now prac-
tically exterminated in America. Many of our animals and birds are in
something of the same case, though perhaps the extinction may be less
rapid. Among our mammalia, the places of the marten, the badger,
the polecat, and perhaps the otter, will surely soon be vacant in our
fauna; so, too, the larger birds of prey, and many plants and insects,
with which we were once familiar as inhabitants of our fields and
woods. Let us be wise in time, and glean all the knowledge of them
possible while yet we may. Even in our own neighbourhood and in
spots with which we have been long intimate, how much is there yet
to be learnt beyond what is already known, even often about the
most familiar objects. There are many facts falling under our notice
almost every day which, in themselves, appear trifling, but which
may be found hereafter to be of the greatest importance to science.
"They may lead to the unravelling of some knot, or the solving of
some difficulty that would long have remained a mystery without
them. And one simple observation, thought nothing of at the time
by the observer himself, may avail to the overthrow of an entire
system, the fruit perhaps of years of labour and close meditation." 1
A professed student of Nature goes forth into the country with a
purpose differing from that of the ordinary holiday-maker. Our
endeavour must be at our Field Meetings to unite these two purposes
under the easy yoke of general instruction. With most of us our
1 Jenyns' "Observations in Natural History," quoting Cuvier.