33 



REPORT FOR THE FORTY-SEVENTH YEAR, ENDING SEPTEMBER 30th, 



1904. 



During the past year we have lost bv removal, resignation, or death 11 members, but 13 new 

 ones have ioined, thus making the total number 03, including 8 corresponding members, 9 honorary 

 members, 14 associates, and ti2 ordinary members. ,, , t, n t:. 



This year the Society has had to mourn the loss of two of its founders— Matthew Bell, Esq., 

 D L of Bourne Park ; and George Rigden. Esq , of Canterbury. Both these gentlemen kept up their 

 membership to the end of theii lives, Mr. Bell was a past President, and maintained his interest in 

 the Society, althou>'h for many years he had been unable to attend. Dr. Rigden was always an 

 ardent and generous supporter of the Society, and he kept up his attendance at the Committee 

 meetings as long as his failing strength allowed. 



We also regret that Captain Stead has resigned his membership, and consequently his seat 

 on the Committee, owing to the fact that he is no longer able to attend the meetings or excursions. 

 We had hoped he would have remained a member, his help on Committees being most useful. 



Scientific meetings have been held as in former years, reports of which will be found on other 



Captain McDakin represented the Society at the Congress of the South-Eastern Union of 

 Natural History Societies at Maidstone, and Mr. A. S. Eeid was the Society's Delegate at the meeting 

 of the Hritisli Association at Cambridge. 



This year we regret to record that the excursions have been almost a total failure. Scarcely 

 anyone joined them, and no meetings were held in the Beaney Institute on the following 

 Tuesday evenings. But although the excursions did not take place as arranged, many of our members 

 have done good work individually, and spent many afternoons in the country pursuing their favourite 

 studies and doing systematic work, some of which is recorded in this volume, and more will, it is 

 hoped, be communicated to the Society in the form of lectures during the coming Session. Mr. C. 

 Buckingham has again sent a valuable collection of about seventy platinum photographs to the 

 British Association, giving full details of the intermittent flow of the three Nailbournes. He has 

 also furnisbed the Cardiff Natural History Society with valuable information and photographs of the 

 Sandwich sand dune?. 



We regret that no progress has yet been made in the proper display and arrangement of the 

 Natural History specimens in the Et.yal Museum, it having been impossible to do anything with these 

 specimens until the H.immond coUecticin of birds had been arranged 1 and, moreover, the space now at 

 our disposal is very limited and quite inadequate. 



It is hoped that some effort will be maile during the coming year to stir up more enthusiasm 

 in Natural History subjects, and we welcome the generous offer which has been made by two of our 

 members— Miss Holmes and Miss Phillpotts— to guarantee the expenses of an eminent lecturer early in 

 the coming winter in ihe hope that his efforts may arouse a greater interest in Natural History 

 pursuits. 



It is lamentable that the people of Canterbury seem to care little for science. A recent 

 eminent lecturer publicly remarked in our midst upon the scientific apathy of this and other southern 

 districts, and his remarks called forth a strong article in the local Press. Some points from the 

 Canterbury Register, here quoted, should be noted by our members. 



" In the North, people are thirsty for knowledj^e, and flock in crowds to hear a scientific 

 lecture, but here only ' Christy Minstrels or other tomfoolery of this sort ' prove any attraction. 

 It is disgraceful that so much apathy was shown towards the lecturer (Mr. Kerr) when he took 

 the trouble to attempt to instil a little useful knowledge into the minds of the people of 

 Canterbury. We can only think that this City is 30 slow to move to new things that it regards 

 with absolute disfavour any scientific discovery which tends to upset the tradition* banded down 

 from their forefathers. Whether it is our education that is at fault, or the temperament, steps 

 should be taken by the Authorities to awaken an interest in science. It may be said that every 

 industry and manufacture that England has lost to the foreigner, has been lost by our ig^ioi-anee 

 of science and of its application to commerce." 

 Perhaps this state of things will be improved in the future when the Education Authority has 



made arrangements for providing facilities for systematic evening classes in scientific subjects. 



At the present time there are no such facilities in the City, and the young people are at a great 



disadvantage as compared with those of other localities. 



Another evidence of the general lack of interest 13 the neglect of our Library, which contains a 



great number of scientific books which are seldom taken out or referred to by our members in spite of 



the facilities afforded. 



The Committee tender their warm thanks to all those who kindly helped in any way to make 



the evening meetings a success, and they trust that all members will exert themselves during the 



coming winter for the general improvements and progress of the Society, and especially to ensure a 



good attendance at the public lectures, so that the lecturers may feel repaid and the Society gain 



additional members. 



A. LANDER, Hon. See. 



