HERTFORDSHrRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. xHx 



The next, at Ashridge, was the most numerously attended. On the 

 whole the weather was favourable, the only meeting with which 

 rain interfered being the fourth, near Ware. 



Por hospitality kindly aiforded at the Field Meetings the Society 

 is indebted to Mr. Bagnall, iSTe wherries, lladlett ; Mr. Littleboy, 

 of Hunton Bridge, at the Ashridge Meeting ; Mr. Croft, Fanhams 

 Hall; and the Rev. Canon Bradby, Kaileybury Collega. The thanks 

 of the Society for permission to visit or pass througli private 

 grounds are also due to Mr. Part, Aldenham Lodge, Radlett ; Mr. 

 AVodehouse, Woolmers ; and the Marquis of Salisbury, Hatfield 

 House. 



To the Society's Library the donations have been more numerous 

 than during any previous year. This is, however, almost entirely 

 owing to the botanical library of the late Rev. R. H. Webb, con- 

 sisting of about forty volumes, having been presented to the Society 

 by Mrs. Webb. Many scientific papers have been presented by 

 their respective authors. Such papers are arranged and bound in 

 volumes, so that, as far as possible, each volume is limited to 

 memoirs treating of a single science. Thus there are in the library 

 volumes of pamphlets relating to Meteorology, to Geology, to 

 Botany, and to Zoology, most of the papers which they contain 

 having appeared in the transactions of different societies, generally 

 not easily accessible. The Society is therefore much indebted to 

 authors who thus favour it with copies of their papers. Several 

 complete volumes have also been presented by their authors. Miss 

 Ormerod's ' Cobham Journals of Meteorological and Phenological 

 Phenomena' ; the Rev. T. A. Preston's 'Wiltshire Rainfall' ; and 

 Dr. Sclater's ' List of Vertebrate Animals in the Gardens of the 

 Zoological Society,' thus presented, are valuable additions to the 

 Library in 1880. 



The Society is not only indebted to Mrs. Webb for a valuable 

 collection of botanical books, but also for a collection of plants, the 

 value of which, as containing the actual specimens from which the 

 first flora of the county was compiled, can scarcely be over-rated. 

 The herbarium of the authors of the ' Flora Hertfordiensis ' is now 

 the property of the Society, although not yet in its possession, 

 being at present in the hands of Mr. R. A. Pryor, to whom it was 

 lent by Mr. Webb for critical examination in connexion with his 

 preparation of a new 'Flora of Hertfordshire.' As this work is 

 now nearly completed, the Council hopes shortly to be enabled to 

 announce the receipt of the whole of Mrs. Webb's donation. 



The Society continues to be in a most satisfactory financial 

 position. The great increase of members in 1879, owing to the 

 extension of the Society in that year from a local to a county insti- 

 tution, coupled with the indefatigable exertions of your President, 

 caused a corresponding increase of income, but it also necessitated 

 a larger expenditure than before, the change of name, revision of 

 rules, etc., being elements of expense. The expenditure in each 

 year, to the present time, may be roughly stated as follows : — in 

 1875, £64; in 1876, £70; in 1877, £70; in 1878, £90; in 1879, 



VOL. I. — PART VIII. B 



