The Natural History Society is again making an attempt to shake off the lethargy to which it has been a prey for many years. Once a society of great activity and usefulness, it has in recent years almost faded out of the public notice, except for an occasional lecture delivered under its auspices. We hope that this time the effort to improve itself will be a real one and not quite as futile as many of those feeble attempts to renewed action made during our recollection. The society has the opportunity of making itself very useful in advancing the study of nature among students of natural history by discussions and meetings supplementary to the regular college courses.

It can also diffuse an interest in the subjects to which it devotes itself to the large numbers of students who have never taken any courses in natural history, but who will by means of public lectures be awakened to the many beauties and curious things in nature, and thus become active workers in this, to them, new field. Indeed, the further that organized societies can extend the system of public lectures for all the students the more fortunate we can consider ourselves. For by means of evening lectures on different subjects students who devote themselves to specialties are enabled to widen their scope of learning and to go forth with a liberal education more truly than they would if these additional advantages were not at hand.