194 The Presidential Address. 



query as to the ancestry of Vcmessa Urticce, reprinted in exteiiso 

 in the 'Entomologist' for August, 1881; Mr. Enghsh's 

 contribution to the history of "sugaring" for moths; and 

 Mr. Saville Kent's admirable sketch of the Infusoria. In 

 the department of Botany our energetic member Prof. Boulger 

 has dealt with the larger problems of the evolution of h'uits, 

 and the origin and distribution of the British flora. In 

 Geology we have been the means of gi^^ng publicity to Mr. 

 Dalton's paper on the Blackwater Valley — a paper which is 

 to be valued not only on account of its intrinsic interest, but 

 because it has given us an opportunity of justifying an appeal 

 to those officers of H. M. Geological Survey who have worked 

 in our county, to enrich our ' Transactions ' with some of their 

 observations. 



Our labours in the field of pre-historic Archeology demand 

 more than a passing notice. Interesting " finds " of flint and 

 bronze weapons have been exhibited and described by Mr. 

 Henry Corder. The excavation of the ancient earthwork 

 known as Ambresbury Banks has been so far successful that 

 we are now able to state conclusively that this camp is of 

 British construction. But although we have thus far dis- 

 pelled the mystery enshrouding one of these Forest Camps, 

 it must not be sui)posed that our investigations, commenced 

 under such fortunate circumstances, are by any means com- 

 pleted. At least one other section through the Ambresbury 

 earthwork will be desirable in order to obtain, if possible, 

 more definite evidence as to the precise period of its erection, 

 as stated in the report published in the last part of om* 

 'Transactions.' We have further to congratulate ourselves 

 that the exploration of the Loughton camp, which we lio]3e 

 to undertake in the course of the ensuing summer, has been 

 considered a task worthy of recognition by the British 

 Association, that body, at the jubilee meeting held in York, 

 having appointed for this purpose a committee composed of 

 members of our Club. I have no doubt but that the necessary 

 funds will be forthcoming when an appeal is made to our 

 members at large. 



My review of this, our first extensive undertaking in the 



