22 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 
ance was but yery small, in spite of the earnest appeal of the Secretary. 
Among those present were the President, the Secretary, the Rev. H. Rich, 
Mr. Ramsay, and J. Parker, Esq. As usual, ample matter for remark was 
found in the many natural objects observed in the lane, and the old dis- 
cussion regarding the origin of Hollow-lane, whether a watercourse, or a 
British road, was renewed. Among the plants noticed were Valeriana 
officinalis, Asperula cynanchica, Anthyllis vulneraria, Linum catharticum, 
&c. In returning to Castle Hill across the fields, various objects of interest 
were noticed. 
After the Ramble the members who had joined it, as well as many others 
‘who were unable to share the pleasure, repaired to Castle Hill, at the kind 
invitation of J. Edwards, Esq., where they were refreshed with tea and coffee ; 
after which the whole company adjourned to the lawn, where an elaborate and 
interesting paper ‘‘ On the Present State of Geological Science in England,”’ 
was read by Mr. Ramsay, a few illustrative remarks being added by the 
President. The Members then adjourned to the residence for the transaction 
of the special business of the Meeting. The following satisfactory Report 
for 1867—8, was read by the Secretary, J. Britten, Esq. :— 
‘‘The commencement of another year in the annals of our Society brings 
‘with it the customary routine of an Election of Officers, a reswmeé of our 
Proceedings, and a statement of our present position. The pleasant duty 
of reporting our progress has again fallen to my lot; and I trust that 
the Members will feel justified in concluding from the following statements, 
that the interest taken in the High Wycombe Natural History Society 
is not merely a passing one, but one which will grow and develope with 
each succeeding year. 
‘** Although it is gratifying to reflect that our Society is gaining ground, 
I should not be doing my duty, did I not remark, in passing, on one 
somewhat important drawback to our position among similar Societies. The 
scanty attendance at our Summer Rambles is a thing to be regretted, not 
only in its immediate, but in its ultimate, results. The purport of these 
Summer Rambles is to afford matter for our consideration at our Winter 
Meetings: and a want of interest in the one must lead to a want of appre- 
ciation of the other. Nor is this all. One of the chief aims of a local 
Natural History Society is the investigation of the various natural objects 
occurring in its district ; and, in proportion to the want of energy in such 
investigation, the Society fails in its object. An investigation of dried 
flowers, arranged fossils, or stuffed birds, and the listening to occasional 
papers, will never make us naturalists; as Ihave before remarked, Natural 
History is not a thing of books, or of dried and preserved specimens—a 
mere hortus siccus or dry museum—no, it is a living study—a study having 
its ‘ sermons in stones,’ its ‘‘ books in the running brooks.’’ Our 
Rambles last year were to Hollow Lane, Marlow Road, Downley, Totteridge, 
and Green Street: but the attendance on each occasion was exceedingly 
small. 
‘We have, however, every reason to congratulate ourselves upon the 
success of our Evening Meetings, of which six have been held, in addition 
to the one in the Town Hall. The papers read were in no way inferior 
to those of the last Winter Session; and the objects exhibited were both 
yaried and interesting. The following is a list of the papers read :— 
