ADDRESS OF THE RETIRING PRESIDENT, 



(REV. H. COOPER KEY, M.A., F.A.S.) 



Gentiemev,— Now that the time has arrived for me to deliver the President's 

 usual address to the members of the Woolhope Club, it becomes my first duty 

 to say how much I regretted my absence fr m the meetings of the Club duriDg 

 almost the whole of my year of Presidentship. The reason of th : s, as you are 

 probably aware, was that a s miewhat serious illness in the early part of the 

 summer compelled me to give up work of every description for a time, and leave 

 home altogether for a tour of some duration in Scotland. The good qualities of 

 the Scotch air are proverbial, an 1 I am thankful to have to say that I found no 

 exception in my own case, however much I regretted being absent from your 

 meetings, I have the satisfaction of knowing that my place was S3 ably filled 

 by our friend Dr. Bull, and other members, that no real inconvenience to the 

 Club of any kiud was occasioned by that absence ; and my cordial thanks are 

 due to them for their kindness. 



Our first ineetiDg last season, the only one I was able to attend, was in the 

 Forest of Deerfold, a district utterly unknown, I think, at the time to nine- 

 tenths of our members, but which had been just previously explored by our 

 indefatigable friend Dr. Bull, who announced the discovery of a Mistletoe Oak 

 in the heart of the district, growing on a farm belonging to the Messrs. Fortey. 

 On our way thither we visited the scene of the labours of an old President of our 

 Club, the Rev. T. T. Lewis, of Aymestrey, to whom, in conjunction with Sir 

 Roderick Murchison, we are indebted for the complete arrangement of that pre- 

 eminently difficult system, the Silurian ; and a very interesting and suggestive 

 visit it was. The Rev. W. S. Symonds kindly took advantage of the occasion, 

 at our request, and delivered an appropriate address on the spot. Towards the 

 close of the day some interesting papers were read bearing very properly upon the 

 subject of our excursion. The first was an excellent paper by the Rev. R. Blight, 

 on the " Mode of reproduction and growth of Mistletoe," illustrated by several 

 interesting sections of the plant from microscopic examination ; and I feel sure 

 that you will agree with me in c rgratulatiog the Club en the addition of so good 

 a naturalist and so accurate an observer to our list of members. The Becond japer 

 was a very welcome one by the Rev. Thomas Woodhouse on the Natural History 

 of the parish of Aymestrey. 



