xlii 



the usual eight annual reports (on the rainfall, climatology, and 

 phenology of the County, and on the meteorology of St. Albans, 

 each for two years), a paper on Hertfordshire rainfall, percolation, 

 and evaporation, and one on the climate of St. Albans ; to the 

 Eotany of the County there are five contributions, two adding to 

 our knowledge of the Characese and the mosses, two giving earlier 

 County records of flowering plants than were known to Pryor when 

 writing his ' Flora of Hertfordshire,' and one giving an account of 

 the destruction of a tree by fungi ; in Entomology there are two 

 annual reports on the Lepidoptera ; in Ornithology the usual annual 

 reports and a paper on the birds of North Hertfordshire ; and in 

 Archaeology papers on coins found at Watford, and at Brickendon- 

 bury, Hertford. An account of the earthquake of December, 1896, 

 and a record of the water-levels in the Chalk near Royston, complete 

 the local papers. Those which do not relate to Hei'tfordshire are 

 on mutual aid amongst animals, on parasitic fungi, on the observa- 

 tion of swallows, and on the Rontgen rays. In the ' Proceedings ' 

 are reports on the Conferences of Delegates to the Eritish Association 

 at Ipswich in 1895 and at Liverpool in 1896, in which are pointed 

 out local work which may be done by members of the Society, and 

 an abstract of a lecture on forest, field, and flood. The volume is 

 illustrated by six plates and twelve illustrations in the text. 



The funds of the Society are in a satisfactoiy condition, the 

 adverse balance with which the account for the previous year 

 closed having been converted into a small balance in favour of 

 the Society. This is due partly to decreased expenditure, that 

 for the year 1897 having been heavier than usual owing to the 

 purchase of an oxy-hydrogen lantern, and partly to the subscriptions 

 of members having been paid more promptly than in the previous 

 year, there being now fewer aiTears. 



The donations to the Library, chiefly of publications of Societies 

 and of the splendid series of volumes presented by the United 

 States Government scientific departments, have been so numerous 

 that there is a difficulty in finding room for them. 



In view of the small attendance at the evening meetings at 

 Watford, the Council may find it advisable to take into consideration 

 as to whether or not some changes in procedure should be made. 

 The Field Meetings have completely changed in character, from 

 rambles in the neighbourhood of Watford, short-distance and then 

 longer- distance railway journeys to places of interest, to cycling 

 excursions, which were so much appreciated last year that some of 

 the members who took part in them have already expressed a desire 

 for similar excursions to be arranged this year. That the work of 

 the Society is also appreciated by members who reside at too great 

 a distance from Watford to enable them to attend the evening 

 meetings, is evidenced by your Editor having lately received several 

 expressions of the pleasure with which the ' Transactions ' are 

 received and read. 



