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the "Military Memoir," " The Essay on Medieval Geography," and, let me 

 add, "The Fast Herefordenses"'— there can be no reason why, in due time, 

 under the stimulus auJ encouragement of our Club in some measure, such a 

 complete history of Herefordshire should not be forthcoming as would 

 atone for the tantalising,' fra.'mentariness of vexatious Di^ncombe. As nuclei 

 of such an " Opus Magnum" imposse, our Club may well invite the observa- 

 tions and contributions of all members whose taste and researches take this 

 direction. Aught that arises out of our vi^ifc to May Hill has been already 

 anticipated, unless it be the hint that hei^dits near to hand, if yet unexplored 

 by us, offer a more fruitful and remunerative fieW than distant hills which 

 take half a day to reach. But out of our third meeting, and Mr. Middleton's 

 latter about the fauna an.l flora of Deerfold, I thmk there have arisen one or 

 two little signs of independent activity, which seem to affirm our raison 

 d'etre as a Club. It is reasonable to suppose that there are not 

 a few retired n.aturalists within our area, or on its confines, whom 

 our exam[)le stimulates into action. Mr. Middleton did not belong to 

 us, but he had not lived two or three years at Lingen without 

 noting,' down the birds and pUnts of that somewhat inaccessible district. 

 Since the apjjearance of his letter in the Hereford Times account of our Hay 

 Park meeting, I have noticed, as no doubt many others of you have, two 

 separate lists of local flora, evincing mach observation and scrutiny of nature's 

 works, in the same columns, and each of these ascribing its communication 

 to the example set from Lingen. The one was from Rhayader ; the other 

 from Orleton, near Leominster and Ludlow. I think it is well worth con- 

 sidering the suggestion of tlie writer of the latter letter, that our Club should 

 pay Orleton a visit ; and though I am unacquainted personally with the 

 Ehayader botanist, I think I could find means of communicating with him, 

 and showing him that our Club reciprocates his interest in our pursuits ; 

 and that if we should find it feasible to make an excursion to the neigh- 

 bourhood of Rhayader he might be persuaded to sketch us a programme, 

 and perhaps assist us in making such a far field-meeting worth the trouble. 

 It is by combination after all, rather than isolated work, that advances are 

 permanently made in any science or investigation ; and it is conceivable 

 that there are those not of us, but around us and about us, whose quiet 

 pains and congenial inquiries might take an impetus from the tender of our 

 right hand of fellowship. But lately you have seen another short botanical 

 paper in the Hereford Times. Can we not brmg our botanists together, 

 and get them to divide the field for reaping? At least they might combinj 

 in appealing to Mr. Purchas to complete his Flora. In the meanwhile, I 

 need scarcely say how much of interest for the lover of nature in general, 

 and if I may judge by myself, for the average literary man, there is in 

 the simplest records of the natural history of any parish or country nook. 

 It were trite to name " White's Natural History of Selborne," or " Stanley's 

 Birds "—but I would ask you whether you doubt that numbers of boys, 



