Institution should be devoted to botanical research. If this Society, he said, 

 could be the means of ascertaining the various species and localities of different 

 plants in the County, an exceedingly interesting work might be published, 

 which would tell the people in ages to come that it had existed usefully. Dr. 

 Bull expressed a hope that Mr. Purchas would be induced to accompany the 

 members in their excursions, and give them the benefit of the valuable knowledge 

 he had already acquired as a botanist. 



The first excursion of the members of the newly-formed association for 

 the examination of the natural productions and phemimena of this County, 

 took place on Tuesday, May 18th. The day was unfortunately most unfavour- 

 able, being the first thoroughly wet day for weeks past, to which circumstance 

 was due the absence of many of the members. There was, however, a goodly 

 attendance. The Members partook of an excellent breakfast together at 

 Tarrington, at 9 a.m. After breakfast, the Rev. W. S. Symonds, rector of 

 Pendock, Worcestershire, was voted into the chair, the president, Mr. R. 

 M. Lingwood, being absent from illness. The Hon. Secretary, Mr. M. J. 

 Scobie, of Hereford, read several letters from members who were unable, from 

 various causes, to attend. He also read a note from Lady Emily Foley, who, 

 upon being informed of the wish of the members to commence their investigations 

 upon her grounds, with her characteristic kindness, at once acceded to the 

 request, and gave every facility. Mr. Robertson, her ladyship's horticulturist, 

 accordingly met the Members, and acted as their guide through the highly 

 interesting gardens and conservatories The continued heavy rain, howeyer, 

 prevented the members from starting upon their investigations until about noon. 

 Meanwhile, some time was very profitably spent in examining a very interesting 

 collection of mammalian remains, discovered during the formation of the 

 Hereford and Gloucester Canal, in gravel beds of various ages. They belonged 

 chiefly to extinct species of the elephant, the elk, and the deer ; but there were 

 also bones which may probably be referred to the hippopotamus. The Chairman 

 remarked that their discovery was a most interesting fact in the geology of the 

 County, in which so few instances of drift occur, and the gravels in which had 

 been described as so poor in remains of that kind. In the conversation which 

 ensued, the Reverend Reginald Hill, of Cradley, kindly undertook to examine 

 the localities in which the bones had been found, which are situated mostly in the 

 parish of Bosbury, and to communicate the results of his investigations on a 

 future occasion. The unanimous thanks of the Meeting were voted to Mr. 

 Ballard, of Hereford, to whom the remains belong, for his kindness in lending 

 them on that occasion. 



The Rev. R. Hill produced an interesting specimen of Caradoc Sandstone 

 from the Malvern range, containing the characteristic fossils of the formation 

 curiously altered by the action of heat. He had found it associated with trap 

 which was doubtless coeval with the elevation of the Malvern syenitic ridge. 



The Hon. Secretary then gratified the Meeting with the instructive paper 

 which (at the request of the Rev. Chairman) we subjoin : — 



