HERTFOHDSniRE NATXTRAL HISTORY SOCIETT. XXXVU 



ORDmARY Meeting, Tth Novemher, 1882, at Watford. 

 George Eoopeh, Esq., F.Z. S., Presulent, in the Chair. 



Mr. Hellior Gossclin, Blakesware, "Ware, and General Douglas 

 Hamilton, Woodside, Watford, were elected Members of the Society. 



The Honourable Colonel Capell, Lady's Close, Watford ; ]Mr. 

 Jolin ^lacdonald, The Hall, Bushey, Watford ; Mr. George Mowat, 

 Holywell HiU, St. Albans; and Mr. Arthur Stradliug, C.M.Z.S., 

 29, Woodford Koad, Watford, were proposed as Members. 



The following lecture was delivered : — 



" The Importance of Minute Things of Life in Past and Present 

 Times." By Professor T. Eupert Jones, F.R.S., F.G.S. {Transac- 

 tions, Vol. II, p. 164.) 



Prof. Rupert Jones exhibited a large number of diagrams in 

 illustration of his lecture. 



Ordinary Meeting, 16th November, 1882, at Hertford. 



F. M. Campbell, Esq., F.L.S., F.Z.S., F.R.M.S., Vice-President, in the Chair. 



Mr. Charles Edward Holford, Springfield, Ware, and Miss 

 Woodley, Ware Road, Hertford, were proposed as Members of the 

 Society. 



The following paper was read : — 



"IS'otes on the State of Vegetation in the Neighbourhood of 

 Hertford during the Winter and Spring of 1882." By R. T. 

 Andi'ews. 



Mr. Andrews commenced by stating that the district in which his observations 

 had been made was comprised within a radius of one mile from the Shire Hall. 

 In this district he said that the varieties of soil were numerous, comprising clay, 

 gravel, chalk, and peat, with high and low lands, grass, arable land and woodland, 

 and abundance of water, the result being that there was a large number of species 

 of plants, upwards of 326 being noted in the ' Flora Hertfordiensis.' The autumn 

 and winter of 1881-82 were favourable to the production of early flowers. The 

 aconite was in flower on Christmas Day in the shrubbery at Bailey Hall, and 

 during the week following it was found in plenty elsewhere. The first week in 

 January brought out flowers of the barren strawberry in warm spots in the fir-grove 

 at Bengeo, and daisies, white and red, in gardens and sheltered fields. The filbert 

 and cob-nut trees flowered about two weeks earlier than the hazel of the hedges 

 and woods, probably from being more protected. Wild snowdrops appeared on 

 the 9th of January, and garden snowdrops on the loth of the same month. At 

 this date the elder had shoots of an inch in length, the honeysuckle of two 

 inches, and the large blue clematis of the garden of three or four inches. 

 Fieri ria verna was in flower on the 19th of January, thirty-nine days earlier 

 than in the preceding year. Notwithstanding severe weather, with sharp frosts, 

 experienced in the third week of January, by the 24th of that month snowdrops 

 were very generally in flower, the aconites were almost gone, the garden scarlet 

 anemones were coming into flower, and in several places wallflowers and stocks 

 were in nearly full bloom. The English tea-plant {Lycium barbarnni) had put out 

 its green shoots, but the frosts experienced about the 23rd of January crumpled 

 and burnt the edges of its leaves. The catkins of the alder and the twigs of the 

 willow assimied a deeper green, and by the 30th the grass became of a brighter 

 hue, the honeysuckle was in full leaf, and the hazel-catkins were long, 

 pendulous, and in full bloom. On the 29th of January some fully-expanded flowers 

 of Ranunculus bulbosus were seen. By the 10th of February wallflowers were in 

 full bloom ; on the 16th flowers of Tussilago farj'ara (coltsfoot) were obtained, and 



VOL. II. — PART VIII. U 



