6 



•Meetings of the Society. — The monthly scientific meetings have 

 been held as usual, in accordance with Eule 13. They were always 

 pleasant and profitable, aff'ording regular intercommunication of 

 naturalists and their friends in the district, with the occasional and 

 agreeable addition of visitors from a distance. Minutes of the pro- 

 ceedings have been regularly reported in the "Kentish Gazette," 

 and of these copies are preserved in a hook which is kept by Mr. 

 Fullagar, ready for the inspection of any member. The subjects, 

 in brief abstracts, are appended to the present annual report, as to 

 reprint them fully would involve much expense, and would, more- 

 over, require artistic illustrations, while the novel points of interest 

 have already been published in the scientific journals of the metro- 

 polis. But though lectures and papers are not reprinted, your 

 Committee are quite alive to their high value in popularizing a 

 knowledge of natural science, and of the thanks which are therefore 

 due to their authors. For this reason your Committee would invite 

 more members to aid the Society by such useful services, reports of 

 which would appear in one or other local newspaper, and so give a 

 beneficial ventilation of the subjects. A very numerously attended 

 natural history and microscopical party was held at St. George's Hall, 

 Canterbury, in the month of May, which was much enjoyed by the 

 members and their friends. On the 3rd August an excursion was made 

 to Folkestone and its vicinity, under the guidance of the President, 

 who explained the geological features of the district. The short 

 excursions of the members, according to Kule 14, have been very 

 frequent ; and as they afl^ord agreeable and profitable walks, it is to 

 be hoped that they will become still more attended and approved 

 when they are better known. 



Officers of the Society. — The President has acted with remark- 

 able zeal and ability. 1 he Treasurer and Librarian has performed 

 his duties with exemplary care and efiiciency. The Honorary 

 Secretary, though prevented by illness from attending the meetings, 

 has been ever ready with his advice and assistance, of which the 

 present report, mainly drawn up by him, is not the only example. 

 The Honorary Assistant Secretary has given most essential aid in 

 the general business of the Society, besides his valuable contribu- 

 tions to the scientific proceedings. The Auditor has been expert 

 and useful in his department. And when it is considered that all 

 these officers have gratuitously, and so well and truly, given theii 

 services, the Society must be regarded as most fortunate in this 

 respect, while its most hearty thanks are accordingly due to each and 

 all of them. 



Provincial Museums. — Tour Committee, bearing in mind Bule 18, 

 enjoining that "The Society, as soon as it may possess sufficient 

 means, shall make a collection of the objects of ^'atural History, 

 both with a view to forming a Museum and the distribution of 



