Address read to the Cotswold Naturalists' Club, at their 

 Winter Meeting, held at the Royal Agricultural College, 

 February, 1855. 



By T. BARWICK LLOYD BAKER, ESQ. of Hardwicke Court, 



President. 



THE close of another year, my friends, calls upon me, as your 

 unworthy President, to resign into your hands an office which 

 your kindness, and not my fitness, has continued me in for many 

 years, and which I have hitherto accepted because I did not see 

 clearly how to find a substitute with equal leisure and zeal in the 

 cause. Now the case is altered, and I would seriously ask you to 

 look through your list of members, and see if you cannot find one 

 who, with more youth, activity, and leisure, and with talents really 

 fitting him to preside over your discussions, has, if we may trust 

 to appearances, not less though certainly not more good will to 

 the cause than myself. If you can find such a one and I think 

 it cannot be difficult to do so and can prevail upon him to accept 

 it I would most gladly give into his hands one half of my office, 

 namely, that portion of it which appertains to the Presidency 

 and retain for myself the other portion, which is better suited to 

 my talents, namely, that of helping to find conveyances, endea- 

 vouring to find the way in our rambles, reminding the members 

 most unpleasantly of the flight of time, and less unpleasantly 

 of the approach of the dinner hour. 



But, before I resign my office, I must recall to your recollection 

 the sayings and doings, and, I trust, the enjoyings of the past year. 



In the first place I must congratulate the Club on the accession 

 of some new names, which though we are anxious to confine 

 our numbers within certain limits we cannot but rejoice to see 

 on our list, namely, Dr. Voelcker and Mr. A. Williams, the Che- 

 mical and Natural Philosophy Professors of the Royal Agricultural 

 College ; The Rev. S. Lysons, a name so well known to the Anti- 

 quarians of England, and particularly of this county ; The Rev. 

 II. W. Bellairs, the Inspector of Schools for this and several other 

 counties ; and J. II. Elwes, Esq., our worthy High Sheriff. 



Secondly, I must congratulate you, Gentlemen, on the series of 

 papers which this year have been read at our meetings. 



1st, On some Rolled Bricks, from the Channel Islands, by Mr. 

 Guise. 



2nd, On the remains of an Ancient Cross, at Ampney Crucis, 

 by Mr. C. Pooley. 



3rd, On a New Crustacean, from the Channel Islands, by Mr. 

 Guise. 



4th, On the superstitious reverence shewn to Parsley, Elder, 

 and other plants. By Mr. Jones. 



5th, On Mammalian Remains, from the gravel, at Stroud, by 

 Professor Buckman. 



Gth, On some Maltese Echinoderms, by Dr. "Wright. 



These papers, Gentlemen, are a most valuable addition to our 

 Club. The credit which accrues from them to our Society is a 

 point that I most highly value. Yet still we must remember that 



