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The Second Meeting of the Society, which took place on the 7th of July at 

 the Craven Arms, near Ludlow, was one that will be long remembered by those 

 who were present. It was a joint assemblage, in fact, of not less than five Societies, 

 consisting of the Oswestry, the Dudley, the Bridgnorth, and the young and 

 promising Caradoc Club with our own. The place chosen presented several 

 attractions — the Ruins of Stokesay Castle, for the inspection of the Archaologist, 

 the Wood of View Edge, said to be the only place in England where the Astrantia 

 major is supposed to grow wild, of which abundant specimens were found, and to 

 the judgment of some, rather cruelly brought away, suggesting to the mind of our 

 late Secretary the very just remark that " it is not wise to talk too loudly about 

 a scarce plant," for several of our number who climed the heights of the wood, in 

 search of it, came out of it with the rare Astrantia ruthlessly torn up, in some cases 

 by the roots, and borne in ruinous triumph on their hats, and other parts of their 

 dress. " I took two specimens — for I do not like to exterminate " — adds his com- 

 munication, but if all the septuagint of naturalists assembled on that day were 

 equally forbearing, the exterminating process will hardly have received a very 

 exemplary check. 



But the Wood of View Edge contained another attraction in its celebrated 

 Quarry of Aymestry Limestone, where nearly the whole of the rock, exposed to 

 a thickness of from 30 to 40 feet, is composed of Pentamerus Knightii cemented 

 together. 



As the very interesting ruin of Stokesay Castle is the subject of a printed 

 account, I will not attempt any extended notice here of its almost indescribably 

 angulated Tower, and its old Court Yard, and very curious and grotesquely carved 

 Gateway. The brief notice of it in Hudson Turner's " Domestic Architecture 

 of the i2th and 13th Centuries " places it in the catalogue of what may be called 

 the classic ruins of our early history. I should be wanting in justice if I did not 

 mention that it owes its preservation, in the existing condition of interest to the 

 Archjeologist, entirely to the tasteful interposition of Mrs. Stackhouse Acton, who 

 took a most kind interest in opening it for the scrutinising inspection of the 

 Society, at which she was present during the whole day, affording the aid of her 

 own accomplished archaeological experience, towards the explanation of the 

 original plan of the ancient Hall, and other parts of the building. I must add 

 that the presence of Mrs. Acton during the day, and with a large party of ladies 

 of the neighbourhood at the dinner of the Society at the Craven Arms, will be 

 remembered by the members present, of many Clubs, almost as an illustration 

 of what may be done to render these meetings interesting and useful both to the 

 Societies themselves, and to the residents of the districts visited. The dinner 

 was one which furnished very cogent illustrations of the maxim " the more the 

 merrier," the double room of the rather astonished host of the Craven Arms 

 being as full as it could or rather couldn't hold, and something over. Several 

 short but useful papers were read, in the intervals of a rather brisk discussion, 

 chiefly on botanical questions suggested by doubts as to the indigenous character 

 of the Astrantia major. 



