SESSION 1897-98. xiii 



Juue 1'2.— Sopwell. St. Alliaus. 



19. — Zoologiciil Museum aud Tring Park, Tring. 



Oct. 23. — Cassiobury Park, Watl'ord. 



The Society is indebted to the Earl of Verulam for hospitality 

 kindly afforded at the Field Meeting at Sopwell, St. Albans ; 

 to IMr. A. F. I'iekering for permission to visit his private grounds 

 at Bennington Lordship ; to the Earl of Essex and Sir Matthew 

 AVhite Hiilley for permission to visit the Swiss Cottage woods 

 in Cassiobury Park aud the private grounds adjoining Cassiobury 

 House ; and to the Honourable "Walter Rothschild for permission 

 for his museum at Tring to be visited on a Saturday, and Mr. E. 

 Hartert for showing the members over the Museum. 



Three parts of the ninth volume of the present series of the 

 Society's 'Transactions,' containing 124 pages and four plates, 

 with several other illustrations, have been published during the 

 year, and the volume will be completed in three more parts, con- 

 taining the proceedings of the last two sessions, and the title-page, 

 index, etc., to the volume. Donations towards the cost of 

 illustrations have been received from Mr. George Pearson, of 

 Brickendonbury (£5), Mr. H. G. Fordham (10«.), and Mr. Harold 

 "Warren (lOs.). 



Numerous donations to the Library have been received during 

 the year, the most important being the splendid publications of 

 the ITuiled States Geological Survey and Department of Agriculture, 

 and the second edition of Sir John Evans' ' Ancient Stone Imple- 

 ments, "Weapons, and Ornaments of Great Britain,' presented by 

 the author. 



The funds of the Society are not in such a satisfactoiy state as 

 might be wished, the expenditure having exceeded the receipts, 

 but this would not have been the case if all the subscriptions for 

 the year and arrears of former years had been paid. It is scarcely 

 possible to effect any economy without curtailing the useful work 

 of the Society. The only heavy item in the expenditure is the 

 cost of the ' Transactions,' but it should be borne in mind that 

 the receipt of the Society's publications is the only benefit which 

 tlie great majority of the members receive for their subscriptions. 

 To increase the number of members seems to be much the best 

 way out of the difficulty. It would sufiice if one member in every 

 five were each year to gain a recruit, and as, out of the ten elected 

 last year, five were obtained by one member (your senior Secretary), 

 tliis should surely be an easy matter. 



There is one exceptional item in the year's expenditure which 

 should be referred to, and that is the purchase of an oxy-hydrogen 

 lantern and lantern-microscope, by the use of which, in illustrating 

 lectures, it is hoped that our meetings will be rendered more 

 attractive than would otherwise be the case. Ordinary microscopic 

 slides can be shown as well as lantern-slides. 



