xiv Proceedings. 



great measure relieved the Secretary of the work connected with 

 the finances and accounts of the Club. 



On entering upon their duties they found it necessary thoroughly 

 to overhaul the list of members, on which were many names 

 which should have been, for various reasons, erased. In this 

 way the number which stood nominally at 251 on 31st December, 

 1884, was at once rediiced to 239 ; and the same process has 

 been continued in the present year, so that, with deaths and 

 resignations, we have lost 31 members. On the other hand, an 

 unusually large number of new members (30) have been elected, 

 showing, indeed, a loss of one* but leaving the list in a much 

 more healthy and genuine position than for some time past. 



Death has not in the past year deprived us of any members 

 who took an active part in the work of the Club, but among the 

 removals from the district I cannot avoid mentioning that of an 

 indefatigable worker and excellent naturalist and geologist, the 

 Eev. George Bailey, who will be much missed at our meetings. 



The finances of the Club are in a very sound position, as you 

 have heard from the statement that has been submitted to you. 

 The receipts have been £148 7s. Od., the expenditure £119 Os. 5d., 

 and the balance in hand at the end of the year is £49 Is. lid., 

 as compared with £19 15s. id. at the same time last year, an 

 improvement due, of course, mainly to the fact that we have not 

 printed any Transactions during the current year. 



In proceeding to review the meetings of the year, I will take 

 first the ordinary monthly meetings in order. A new feature at 

 these meetings has been the greater prominence given to the 

 many interesting exhibits which are brought to them. Previously 

 these had not received the notice they deserved, but an oppor- 

 tunity is now afi'orded before the reading of the paper for any 

 member to bring before the notice of the Club and briefly to 

 describe any objects of interest he may wish to exhibit. This 

 has, I venture to think, added much to the interest of our 

 meetings ; it encourages our members to bring such objects to 

 our notice, and leads to a larger number taking part in our 

 proceedings. 



At the first meeting after the Anniversary, held on the 11th 

 February, Dr. Carpenter read a paper on Ethnological and 

 Archaeological observations and discoveries made during the 

 formation of a new road at Purley, in which he described human 

 and other remains of a very interesting character found in an 

 ancient burying-place through which the road in question had 

 been cut. The remains, consisting of human skulls and other 

 bones, were exhibited, as well as a fine series of weapons, 

 implements, and bones found some years ago at Beddington, 

 belonging probably to the same historical period, but apparently 

 not the spoils of a peaceful cemetery, but of a battle-field. The 



