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it impossible for him to be present, but expressing his earnest wishes for the 

 prosperity of the Club. The toast of " the Queen " having been drunk, the 

 health of Sir Roderick Murchison followed, and the remainder of the evening was 

 spent very pleasantly in speeches and discussions on points of natural science. 



Mr. Symonds expressed his regret that an attack of sore throat had prevented 

 him from being present at the out-door explorations of the Club that day, and 

 he regretted still more that a similar cause had prevented that eminent naturalist. 

 Sir Wm. Jardine, from being present among them that day. He then proceeded 

 to sketch with admirable clearness the recent important discoveries in Geology, 

 such as the discovery of animal remains in the Longmynd rocks, so long supposed 

 to be azoic, or destitute of life ; the discovery of the remains of fish by Dr. Bevan, 

 of Beaufort, in the South Wales Coal-beds, and of a highly organised flowering 

 plant in the Newcastle coal shale by an eminent Northumbrian geologist ; the 

 important new light thrown on the tilestones by the researches of Mr. Banks ; 

 the greatly enlarged range over which it now seems trilobitic forms of life extended, 

 &c. After paying a high compliment to the geologist named, and to Mr. Roberts 

 of Kidderminster, Mr. Symonds eloquently enforced the lesson of caution in the 

 formation of theories, as being particularly suitable to the students of a science 

 yet so young as geology. 



Mr. Lees, of Worcester, in a clever and humourous address, alluded to various 

 points of Botanical history, calling attention to the appearance of fresh plants 

 in various localities, which he attributed to their seeds being carried by the wind. 

 He exhibited a specimen of a new form of oak-gall, which he had seen in some 

 places in Worcestershire, and enquired if it had been observed in Herefordshire. 

 He also noticed the new Canadian Water-weed, the Anacharis alsinastrmn, which 

 has invaded the rivers of Worcestershire and other countries, and would be glad 

 to hear if any botanist had yet discovered it in the Herefordshire waters. 



Mr. Lingwood remarked that the gall alluded to was exceedingly plentiful 

 in the neighbourhood of Lyston and the Mynde. 



Dr. BuU understood that the Anacharis had been very lately found in the 

 canal, about two miles from Hereford. 



Mr. Lees made reference at some length, and with much humour, to the 

 statement of his friend, Mr. Edmunds (reported in the Woolhope Club's Transac- 

 tions), as to the appearance of a number of plants on the railway embankments 

 near Hereford, which Mr. Edmunds supposed to be reproduced from long-buried 

 seeds. He (Mr. Lees) considered on the contrary that the seeds had been trans- 

 ported thither by the wind, and he stated some facts in corroboration of his view. 

 He looked upon this as a case analogous to the monumental pillars of Oolite stone 

 which he once saw in a churchyard situated on the New Red Sandstone : they 

 had undoubtedly been brought thither. 



Mr. Edmunds replied, jocularly regretting his inability to subscribe to the 

 theory of his friend, whose argument he declared to be very good— too good to 

 be accepted. (A laugh). In fact it proved too much. If the mere presence of 



