305 



Mr. Lees doubted their being bred here. He stated that he had read 

 in an old history of birds called Crossbills that formerly visited Herefordshire, 

 in the autumn, in great numbers, and did much damage to the apples ia the 

 orchards by cutting them up with their crooked bills. 



Dr. Bull said that Mr. Lloyd had written to inform him that the 

 Crossbills had been seen again at Kington a fortnight ago, aad thus it was 

 clear that they had been observed in the county at three different periods of 

 the year, in February, the beginning of August, and October. Mr. F. Symonds, 

 the Mayor's son, had shot a couple near Hereford last autumn. These obser- 

 vations seemed to show that Crossbills were more common here than was 

 believed. He had seen lately a couijle of those fine birds, the Hawfinches, 

 which had been shot at Thruxton. He thought there was an ample field for 

 ornithological observations, in the more wooded parts of the county. They 

 must all thank Mr. Lloyd for his paper, in which the fact of the Crossbills 

 breeding in the county was almost proved, and he hoped that next year he 

 would be able to tell them he had again seen the birds, that he had found 

 their nest and eggs, observed their habits, and let the young ones fly, for it 

 was rather painful to hear of their being always shot. He was sure Mr. Lloyd 

 could not shoot them all (hear, hear). The club would be very glad to have 

 another paper from him on the subject at their autumn meeting. 



THE CAVES IN THE GREAT DOWARD HILL. 



By Sir WILLIAM GUISE, Bart., F.G.S., &c. 



Before introducing this subject. Sir William Guise said he had great 

 pleasure, on the part of the Cotswold Club, in acknowledging the toast which 

 had been proposed by the President. The Cotswold Club, with one single 

 exception, was the senior club in this country ; and it was very satisfactory to 

 him as an old field-club man, to see the Woolhope Club in so excellent a 

 position (hear, hear) ; — under the presidency of Dr. Bull, indeed, its position 

 could not be other than satisfactory and efficient (hear, hear). Looking at 

 field clubs not only in their scientific and educational aspect, but in their social 

 aspect, as at that moment, he felt that they were calculated to do a great deal 

 of good. In the present day education seemed to be progressing, and he 

 believed that field clubs were powerful instruments for aiding on the spread 

 of education (hear, hear). With regard to the Doward caves, it was a question 

 which opened up such a vast field of inquiry, that if he were to go into it in 



