was not lost. An admirable instance of the manner in which the desired work 

 might be accomplished was shortly afterwards given by the instructive lecture 

 "On the Ferns of Herefordshire," by Mr. W. H. Purchas, of Ross ; who added 

 the expression of his earnest wish that the progress of natural science might be 

 aided by the labours of local observers. The opportunity for putting into 

 practice the hints of these two gentlemen was seized ; and great credit is due to 

 Mr. M. J. Scobie for the earnest and intelligent manner in which he at once 

 set to work to organi.se the first Naturalists' Field Club for Herefordshire. In 

 the work for which he was so well suited, Mr. Scobie was effectively aiiled by 

 Mr. R. M. Lingwood, F.L.S., Mr. T. H. Lee Warner, Dr. Bull, Mr. Purchas, 

 and other gentlemen. Nor was the countenance and aid of men of world-wide 

 eminence in science wanting : Sir Roderick Murchison, whose researches in 

 Herefordshire were the cause of his giving to the world his splendid work on the 

 Silurian System, and Mr. H. E. Strickland, F.G.S., of Oxford, have both 

 kindly interested themselves in the new Club, and both have expressed an 

 intention of visiting its meetings as soon as practicable. With such powerful 

 encouragement, and with tlie ready concurrence of the lovers of natural history 

 and geology in the district, Mr. Scobie, the Hon. Secretary, has been enabled to 

 mature his plan. We need not add our hearty wish for, as well as our confident 

 belief in, the success of this movement for the extension of scientific knowledge. 

 The Club has been styled The Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club, its first object 

 being the investigation of the locality which is geologically known as "The 

 Woolhope Valley of Elevation," a district which represents, as it were, an 

 epitome of the history of immense tracts of the earth's surface. To the Geologist, 

 its having been the birthplace, so to speak, of the Silurian System of Murchison, 

 must make it ever classic ground. The operations of the Club, however, will not 

 be confined to the Woolhope District ; the vicinity of Whitchurch, and the 

 limestone beds of Aymestry, have been selected for future excursions. 



Our object in thus calling attention to the formation of this scientific Club is 

 to point out a mode in which the intelligent everywhere throughout the County 

 may aid its operations. The number of Members will necessarily be limited, but 

 the effectiveness of the Club may be increased greatly by the neighbours of each 

 Member making known to him any circumstance bearing upon natural history 

 which they may consider interesting. The members themselves will of course 

 cultivate habits of observation individually, so that each may be prepared to add 

 to the common stock of information, at each successive meeting ; but they will be 

 all the better able to fulfil this duty, if each become a centre of those non- 

 members who cultivate like pursuits. By and bye we hope to see other Clubs 

 formed in different parts of the District ; but the first object must obWously be 

 to make the existing Club as efficient and useful as possible. 



