19 



fully completed) is mainly attributable to Mr. Jackson's exertions and skill, and 

 to him entirely belongs the credit of having preserved the stately and dignified old 

 roof, which "an eminent architect" had condemned as rotten and worthless, and 

 proposed to replace with one of varnished deal. 



A rapid descent was then made on the Feathers' Hotel, where ample justice 

 was done to an excellent dinner, provided by Mr. and Mrs. Rayner ; after which 

 the rector of Ledbury read an elaborate paper on the "Architecture of Ledbury 

 Church." 



From the hotel the members proceeded, on the kind invitation of the president, 

 to visit the room of many characters — the Court House. Here the fine collection 

 of SOurian fossils he has collected, has its permanent abode : here, ever and anon, 

 at stated intervals, justice is administered indifferently, alike to rich and poor. A 

 clear discriminating eye is on them all ; a kindly sympathy meets the unfortunate, 

 the nervous are encouraged, and honesty grows bold, whilst selfishness is rebuffed, 

 and roguery trembles. In this room, too, a genial hospitality is ever ready to 

 invade its precincts on all seasonable occasions. The spirit of science brought all 

 the visitors to-day ; but the goddess of hospitality was also present, and the tables 

 at both ends of the room were crowded. Your reporter, remembering the r/enius 

 loci, is fairly puzzled to do justice to both sides — on one side, with eager accents, 

 was to be heard, " Where are the Cephalaspidcan fishes ? " Ou the other, " Do you 

 take tea or coffee ? " "Tell me which is the Plerygotus problematicus ? " "You'll 

 find the cream below." What a grand collection of Orthoccratidcv." "Where is 

 that rare fossil, the only one yet discovered in all the known world, the Cephulaspis 

 Piperi?" "What lovely Lingulidcef" "Here's a fine Auchenaspis.'" "How 

 graceful these iVa««t7iVa,' are ! " " How good the (?a«to'opofi«," &c. Whilst cake, 

 and biscuits, and preserves, and sweetmeats, mix up strangely with the long- 

 syllabled words of paleeontology. But what is the point of interest there now ? 

 A plate, decorated nicely with curled parsley, is handed round. Sui-ely it is some 

 elegant preparation of preserved ginger? No ! it is a mild practical joke, the fun- 

 gus Peziza hadia, the only funsjus found during the excursion. Time, time, in- 

 exorable time ! Visitors had to leave to catch the last returning train ; and so 

 passed into history another red-letter day in the archives of the Club. 



