36 

 NATURAL HISTORY NOTES FOR 1904. 



The spring' and summer were very genial ones and the growth of vegetation was luxuriant 

 everywhere. The auionnt of blossom on fruit trees and on all wild plants was very great ; never was 

 there a greater show of primroses in East Kent, but a large crop of this favourite flower may be 

 always expected after a previous wet summer and autumn, the plants thereby being enabled to 

 develop and become robust. After a very dry season the blossoms are comparatively scarce. 



Orchids, too, did very well and the rare ones such as O. arachnitis and Herminirtm monorchis 

 showed no signs of "disappearing," indeed the latter was far more plentiful than in 1903, on one spot 

 at Wye, where it had been scarce for several seasons, it was very abundant. Euphorbia erula has 

 been notified for the first time in Kent, near Dover, where it may be seen in company with Euphorbia 

 cyp irissias and Coronilla vatii ; Draba muralis continues to spread near Wye. 



The season will be remembered for a long time by hop growers for a record visitation of the 

 hop aphis, which was most persistent and difficult to destroy. The crop in cousernience was a very 

 short one. The mangold crop was also badly attached by an aphis in July, but, fortunately, it did not 

 last very long. 



The fourth of August was an exceedingly hot day, the thermometers going to 90 and over in the 

 shade and to over 130 in the sun. 



W. H. HAMMOND. 



BRYOLOGICAL N0TE5 FOR KENT, 1904. 



I beg to report the following new finds for Kent ; Weisia sterilis, Nicholson, from Boxley 

 Warren, near Maidstone, and at Purple Hill, Bredhurst. Thuidium /ii/rioricuni,atBredhurpt, abundant, 

 and less so on Queen Down Warren, Hartlip. Trichostomum crispuhini var. brtbifolium, from 

 Bredhurst, exceedingly rare, and only mentioned by ilr. Dixon in his addenda to the second addition 

 to the students' handbook published last January. I must mention that Mr. \V. R, Jeffrey, while 

 gathering mosses for me on Purple Hill, near Bredhurst, came across a lot of very fine plants of 

 Poly gala austriaca. 



JOHN MARTEN, 



Womenswold, Dover. 



BOTANICAL NOTES FROM THANET. 



We had so little rainfall during the summer that it was of little use searching for plants on the 

 high ground. Numerous plants dried up before they could develop flower?, and the rare Medicago 

 sciUcUata only obtained the height of five inches, so I am fearful of losing it. I managed, however, to 

 find these few rather rare ones : Lathyrus aphaca, Fuviaria densijiora, Silene anglica, Potentilla 

 norvegicay Berteroa incana. 



F. HEWETr. 



ANNUAL MEETING, TUESDAY, OCTOBER i8th, 1904. 



The annual meeting of members was held in the Beaney Institute on October 18th, 1904-. 

 Amongst those present were— S. Harvey, Esq., Messrs. A. U. Battley, W. P. Mann, W. Cozens, C. A. 

 Gardner, F. M. Faeer, Miss Holmes, Miss Phitlpotts. Miss Sanderson, Miss Sworn, Miss Abbott, etc. 



The minutes of the last annual meeting were read and confirmed. 



The reports of the Committee and Treasurer were passed and ordered to be printed. The 

 Librarian's repurt and that of our Delegate to the British Association were deferred until the next 

 meeting. 



The election of officers was then proceeded with. Mr. S. Harvey, F.T.C., F.C.S., was again 

 elected unanimously President. The Dean. Captain J. G. McDakin, and Rev. A. J. Galpin were 

 elected Vice-Presidents, and Mr. Mann Treasurer. The following members of the Committee were 

 re-elected : F. Bennett Goldney, E^q., Dr. Netherclift, H. M. Chapmao, Es(i . W. Cozens, Esq., S. 

 Saunders, Esq., W. H. Hammond, Esq. I'r. Pittock was elected in place of the late Dr. Rigden and 

 F. M. Facer, Esq., in place of Captain Stead, who has resigned. Mr. A. Lander was re-elected Hon. 

 Secrttary and Mr. E. B. Hayward Assistant Secretary ; Mr. C. A. Gardner was also elected Assistant 

 Secretary. Mr. Fiddian having removed to Wales, some difficulty was experienced in filling the oflSce 

 of Librarian, and it was arranged that Mr. Gardner should have charge of the Library until someone 

 would definitely undertake the work. The local Secretaries or Referees were re-elected as before, 

 with the addition of A. V. Battley, Esq., to be an additional Lepidoptera expert. 



The new form of programme was on view and met with the general approval of the members. 

 Some discussion then took place about the proposal to procure the services of an eminent popular 

 lecturer, it being decided that Mr. K. Kearton should, if possible, be engaged, and_ several 

 members promised one guinea each to form a guarantee fund to ensure the Society against any 

 possible loss on the lecture. 



