TRANSACTIONS 



OF THE 



Woolliopt Saturaliats' JFtdft «Inb. 



1852— 1865. 



INTRODUCTION. 



The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, according to the 

 Title-page of its earliest pubUcations, was established in 185 1, 

 and, as we gather from subsequent issues, during the winter 

 period of the end of that year. The earliest minutes, how- 

 ever, which we possess are dated Tuesday, April 13th, 1852, 

 when Mr. R. M. Lingwood was in the chair. The twelve Rules 

 of the Club are entered upon the minutes. Rule 2 regulates 

 " That the Club consists of 40 Members, with such Honorary 

 Members as may be admitted from time to time. . ." That 

 the formation of the Club had received mature consideration 

 preliminary to this first record of its proceedings, may be 

 assumed from the fact that, at this its first recorded meeting, 

 30 Members were elected upon its foundation. Seven of the 

 most distinguished authorities in our Kingdom on Geology and 

 Botany were at this same meeting elected honorary members. 

 Mr. R. M. Lingwood was elected President. The thanks of the 

 meeting were voted to Mr. M. J. Scobie for his exertions in 

 estabUshing the Club, and he was elected Honorary Secretary. 



The first bound volume of the Transactions of the Club 

 contains the proceedings of the year 1866. The proceedings of 

 the Club during the fourteen years, 1852 to 1865, were generally 

 summarised or epitomised in the annual address of the President 

 for each respective year. Only six printed publications were 

 issued during those fourteen years ; these were in pamphlet 

 form with paper covers. Possibly not more than one or two 

 complete sets of the six parts are in any one's possession. 

 These six parts are incorporated in their proper sequence in 

 this volume. 



Fortunately there was amongst the earliest members of 

 the Club a chiel taking notes, who published them in one of 

 our local newspapers, the Hereford Times. This was Mr. Flavell 



