158 ANNITEKSAKY ADDRESS 



In Zoology we have had a paper " On British Butterflies," by the 

 Eev. C. M. Perkins ; " Notes on Economic Entomology " and " On 

 the Observation of Injurious Insects," by Miss E. A. Ormerod ; and 

 " Notes on the May Fly," by Dr. Hood. We have had several 

 zoological papers from Mr. Littleboy ; one on the Fishes of the 

 Bulborne and the Gade, with some account of those rivers ; another 

 " On the Birds of our District;" and another with some further 

 notes on our birds. Mr. Littleboy has also taken some trouble in 

 collecting notes and observations on birds recently observed in our 

 county. Mr. Tuke also gave us some notes on birds observed at 

 Hitchin. In other departments of Natural History, Dr. Attfield 

 has given an interesting lecture on "Poisons not always Poisons," 

 in which he gave an account of the discovery by himself of three 

 members of the Arachnida tribe not before noticed ; Mr. Harford 

 has given us a lecture on " The Physical Characteristics of 

 Minerals," most useful to mineralogists and geologists; and the 

 Eev. James Clutterbuck has read a paper on "The Products of 

 our County." 



We set apart some evenings for special study with the microscope, 

 but after a few nights the meetings were discontinued from 

 want of interest shown by the members. I must say that I should 

 like to see these meetings revived, for I think that our members do 

 not show so much interest in microscopical study as they should do. 

 The cabinet, also, that we have bought for microscopic slides, is 

 far from being well furnished. 



In our numerous field meetings we have been particularly 

 favoured by fine weather. I shall not detain you by any remarks 

 on the delightful visits that we have paid to Cassiobury Park and 

 to Moor Park, to Hitchin, Hertford, Ware, Stanmore Common, 

 Pinner, Boxmoor, Tyler's Hill, the Grove Park, St. Albans, and 

 Hunton Bridge. I may mention that, amongst the rarer plants 

 met with at these meetings, on one occasion we found Solomon's 

 seal (Polygonatum multiflormnj. It did not seem to be an escape 

 from a garden. I have found the Atropa Belladonna growing 

 wild, and have been told that it has also been seen a few miles 

 from Watford. 



But the most interesting discovery was that at Hitchin, near 

 Mr. Hansom's house. The following account has been given in 

 oiir ' Transactions,' p. Ixi, in our Secretary's report on the Field 

 Meeting at Hitchin : — " Here a number of flint implements, 

 recently discovered in a bed of clay or ' brick- earth ' a few miles 

 from Hitchin, at once attracted the attention of Dr. Evans, who 

 determined them to be celts of the Palaeolithic Age, occurring. 



