xl PEOCEEDrN'GS OF THE 



In reply to a question by Dr. Brett, the President said that there were two 

 methods of ascortaining tlie amount of water flowing in a river. One had been 

 tried at Watford, and wa.s by the number of millstones the river was able to 

 drive ; but the ordinary method was for the water to be penned back and only 

 allowed to flow over an orifice of a certain width. The amount of water pa.ssing 

 in a minute was taken, and from that it was calculated what the volume of water 

 was. It was in this manner that Telford gauged the Gade some fifty years ago. 



4. "Section of the Strata passed through in boring at the Colne 

 Valley Water Works." By William Verini ( Fide p. 135). 



5. "The Ermine Street traced by its Vegetation." By Lieut. R. 

 B. Croft, E.X., F.L.S. {Vide p. 135). 



The President said that this very interesting Note combined archseology with 

 botany. He had not before known buttercups brought in as indices of Roman 

 roads. Such indications were generally seen in the height of summer, for the soil 

 above the road being only of a moderate thickness, the vegetation then dried up. 

 Stukeley noticed these appearances, and called them umbras strati — the shadows 

 of a street. 



Mr. E.. A. Pryor having mentioned that buried foundations gave rise to similar 

 appearances, the President said that the theatre at St. Albans was discovered by 

 such appearances. 



6. "Note on tlie Larvae of the Goat Moth." By J. Henry James 

 {Vide]). 135). 



7. " Kotes on the Cuckoo." By Alfred T. Brett, M.D. ( Fide 

 p. 136). 



Mr. R. A. Pryor said that he had known a cuckoo lay its eggs for two con- 

 secutive years in the nests which a water wagtail had been for some years in the 

 habit of building in an out-house. 



Lieut. Croft mentioned that he had seen both robins and greenfinches bring a 

 cuckoo food. 



8. Cuttings from ' The Field,' being two Xotes on the Ornithology 

 of Herts. 



The first of these related to the appearance of the gannet and the little auk in 

 Herts. They had both been picked up alive, but in an exhausted condition, near 

 Baldock, during the latter part of November, 1875. 



The second extract referred to the destruction of fish by a heron. For several 

 weeks at about the end of the year 187o, a large heron had been seen flying over 

 Bengeo towards Waterford Marsh, near Hertford, and returning towards Ware. 

 On one occasion it had been seen to dart into the river that runs near Waterford 

 Hall, and kill a very fine ti-out. 



9. "Description of a new Field-Naturalist's Microscope." By 

 Lieut. Croft, R.N., F.L.S. 



Lieut. Croft said that he believed this little instrument, which he exhibited, 

 would be found useful not only for work in the field, for which he had specially 

 designed it, but also at other times when it was impossible to use a large micro- 

 scope, or when it might be inconvenient to take such an instrument out of its 

 case ; for although in theory our microscopes ought always to be set up ready for 

 use, yet in practice this seldom was ]i(issil)le. 



The instrument ciiiiM-tid nt a tili -((.iiic body sliding in a case to which a stage 

 and mirror were attaditd, the wlmlc when packed, together with a live-box, 

 tittiiii;' into a small kallier cast' whiili could be carried in the pocket or slung on 

 till -lidiilder. It was fitted with a 3-inch object-glass, as being the most useful 

 |Mi\\( 1 Inr out-door work, but he also carried in his waistcoat pocket a low-angle 

 iiuli-imli, for which, or even with care for a quarter-inch object-glass, he found 

 the sliding adjustment all that was needed. 



