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A ddress to the Cotteswold Naturalists' Field Club. Read hy the President, 

 W. V. Guise, Esq., F.L.S., F.G.S., at the Annual Meeting, held at 

 the Bell Hotel, Gloucester, on Wednesday, 29</t March, 1865. 



Gentlemen, — 



The return of another season calls us again together, to renew, as I 

 hope, the happy associations of former years, in pleasant rambles a-field, in 

 the exchange of congenial thought, in friendly greeting and intercourse, 

 and in the enjoyment of that spirit of good fellowship which gives a zest 

 to our pursuits, and clothes the sober aspect of philosophy in a "light 

 and joyous livery." 



There is little in the present condition of the Club which calls for any 

 special remarks from me. Our number of contributing members, 86, is 

 somewhat under our full complement, a deficiency which will, as I 

 believe, be sliortly made good by the expected addition of fourteen new 

 members. The fasciculus of our proceedings is a very good one, and 

 shews no falling off in the number or value of the papers contributed. 

 This will complete the third volume of our Transactions. 



At the meeting which took place in the Forest of Dean, a strong 

 desire was expressed that the Section of Dry brook, made by Mr. Jones 

 and our Secretary, Mr. Lucy, should be published. The proposal 

 attracted some attention at the time, and application has since been made 

 for the section by the Secretary of the Severn Valley Field Club. It 

 seems very proper that this design should be carried out, but its execution 

 during the current year must, I fear, be deferred, as our funds are not at 

 present in condition to bear the expense. This, again, brings me to the 

 point to which I drew your attention last year, of the insufficiency of our 

 subscriptions to meet the expenses of the Club. Hitherto, by carefiil 

 management, we have kept out of debt. This year, however, -we are 

 threatened with a deficiency, not large it is true, but such as constrains 

 us to economise our outlay, and in so far to starve our work. It is my 

 intention, therefore, to propose that our subscriptions be advanced to .£1. 

 annually in lieu of 10s., which will amply suffice to provide for the due 

 publication and illustration of the important monographs and other 

 scientific papers of value, which need more space for their due expansion 

 than we are now in position to afford. 



