WATFOKD NATUEAL HISTOKY SOCIETY. Hii 



occurrence has been previously made and recorded is not a sufficient 

 reason for it to pass unnoticed when it again occurs. The visit of 

 a rare bird, the unusual abundance of certain insects, the blossoming 

 " out of season " of a common wild flower — which has happened 

 to several this autumn and winter — and many other phenomena, 

 are worth noticing and recording every time they occur ; and the 

 time of flowering of certain plants, of first appearance of certain 

 insects, and of arrival and departure, etc., of certain birds, should 

 be recorded every year, 



A report on the observations of the periodical phenomena to 

 which allusion is here made, that have already been communicated 

 to your Secretary, will shortly be presented to the Society ; but the 

 Council cannot but regret that only two members — one at Watford 

 and the other at Ware — have so far carried on these observations. 



Reports on the rainfall, which were communicated quarterly in 

 1875, have been discontinued, it being thought that a more com- 

 prehensive annual report would be of greater value. Such a report, 

 embracing returns from about 20 stations in the county, will be 

 presented at the first opportunity ; and the Council desire here to 

 express their thanks to your honorary member, Mr. G. J. Symons, 

 for the facilities he has afforded for these reports to be obtained 

 from observers who are co-operating with him in his system of 

 rainfall registration, and who have forwarded their returns on the 

 application of your Secretary. The Society has already been the 

 means of increasing the number of these observers, one member 

 having started a new gauge at Watford, and another at Odsey. A 

 set of standard meteorological instruments, sufficiently complete for 

 all the usual observations, and verified at the Kew Observatory, 

 has also been obtained by your Secretary, whose daily observations 

 are earned out in accordance with the regulations of the Meteoro- 

 logical Society, to which they are forwarded monthly. A summary 

 of these observations will also be given annually in your ' Transac- 

 tions.' 



The Field Meetings that have taken place during the year must 

 now be alluded to. They have been more uniformly successful 

 than they were the previous year, the weather having been much 

 more favourable. Of the five meetings arranged the programme 

 announced was in every case but one fully carried out, and this 

 exception relates merely to mode of conveyance. At these Field 

 Meetings the following localities were visited : — 



April 29.— Bernard's Heath and Hedges, St. Albans. 



May 13.— Hatfield Park. 



June 3. — Bricket Wood and Common, and the "Wylde, St. Albans. 



17. — Boxmoor, Bennet's End, and Nash Mills. 



July 1. — Elstree Eeservoir and Stanmore Common. 



Of these meetings, that at Hatfield Park requires special mention. 

 It is the one alluded to above as having been carried out differently 

 from the announcement, which was that conveyances would be 

 hired from St. Albans to Hatfield, the trains not running at con- 

 venient times. A greater number of members than could be thus 



