WATFORD IS-ATTJEAl HISTOET SOCIETY. XXXIU 



and Vice-President of others, he has yet frequently presided at our 

 evening meetings and accompanied us in our meetings in the field. 



When other engagements" have rendered it impossible for the 

 President to attend the evening meetings, Dr. Brett has most 

 frequently presided, and to him the thanks of the Society are 

 especially due for the great exertions he has made in its behalf. 



It would be impossible to mention all to whom the Society is 

 indebted ; but one of our Honorary Members must not be forgotten. 

 In two (*f our field meetings we have had the advantage of the 

 extensive and varied geological knowledge of Professor Moi'ris ; 

 and his expositions of the structure, the physical relations, and the 

 history of the various formations examined, were listened to with 

 the greatest attention by those who were present on these occasions. 



The Society is also indebted in various ways to several who are 

 not its members : to Professor Ramsay, Mr. Bristow, and Mr. Best, 

 for the portion of the geological map of Hertfordshire not yet 

 published by the Survey ; to Mr. G. J. Symons, Secretary of the 

 Meteorological Society, for permission to print the extracts from 

 this Society's ' Phenological Instructions' in the second part of the 

 ' Transactions ' ; and to Mr. W. Whitaker, Editor of the ' Geological 

 Record,' for information as to the local Natural History Societies 

 for whose publications the ' Transactions ' should be exchanged. 



The financial position of the Society is satisfactory. JN'otwith- 

 standing the expenses incurred in starting it, the income for the 

 year is slightly in excess of the expenditure ; and the amount re- 

 ceived for life compositions has been transferred from the current 

 account at the Bank to a deposit account, with the intention of 

 investing it should a sufficient number of members compound for 

 their annual subscriptions. 



A library of works on jS'atural History and the allied sciences 

 is in course of formation, and now numbers more than 50 volumes, 

 all of which have been acquired by donation. To the respective 

 donors the thanks of the Society are due ; and it is hoped that, by 

 the liberality of authors and others, a valuable Natural History 

 Library may in time be formed. 



Several donations towards a Natural History Museum have also 

 been received, and, when cases are provided for their display, wiU 

 form a not unimportant addition to the proposed Museum of the 

 Watford Public Library. 



To the Committee of the Public Library the Council desire, in 

 conclusion, to express their thanks for the facilities aff'orded for 

 holding their meetings and the evening meetings of the Society in 

 the building in which we are now assembled. 



The Council being of opinion that half-past seven in the evening 

 may be somewhat too early for the convenience of some of tho 

 members, propose that in future the evening meetings shall be held 

 at eight o'clock. 



{The Treasurer's Account is on the next page.') 



VOL. I. — PT. VI. E 



