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which forces itself upon us more and more every year, that we 

 are gradually ransacking every cranny and corner of the district 

 which is within our reach by road or rail within the compass of a 

 day's journey. It becomes therefore increasingly difficult to 

 arouse interest in mere locality, and we must rely more and more 

 upon the efforts of members to work out minute facts of scientific 

 interest in their different localities ; and thus — for nature is 

 inexhaustible — to supply fresh sources of interest besides those 

 derivable from mere scenery and its surroundings, which, though 

 admirable for giving zest to a gathering on a fine day, is far 

 from being the raison d'etre of such Societies as ours. Of those 

 who are doing such good work 1 would especially mention our 

 colleague the Eev. F. Smythe, who, in his quiet parsonage at 

 Churchdown, has occupied himself in the study and correlation 

 of the beds of the Middle Lias, and is preparing a memoir which 

 will do credit to the published "Transactions" of the Club. 



THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CLUB 

 was held at the Spread Eagle Hotel, Gloucester, on Tuesday, 

 16th March, 1875, when you again did me the honor to elect 

 me for your President, with Dr. Weight and Mr. Lucy as 

 Vice Presidents, and Dr. Paine as Honorary Secretary. The 

 Meeting, which was well attended, was not marked by any 

 exceptional features. After dinner the Rev. E. Smythe offered 

 some observations upon early tobacco-pipes, and was followed 

 by Mr. John Bellows with an interesting account of Roman 

 Gloucester, a subject to which he has devoted great atten- 

 tion for some years, and by a careful comparison of existing 

 traces and those which from time to time have been revealed 

 by well-sinkings, foundations of houses, and other excava- 

 tions, with the measurement and rules for castrametation 

 laid down by Polybitts and other Roman authorities, he has 

 been enabled to restore, with every probability of a fair approxi- 

 mation to truth, the original boundary-wall of the ancient 

 Roman oppidum, with the position of its streets, gates, and 

 principal public buildings. I am glad to know that this will 

 form the subject of a paper by Mr. Bellows, which will appear 

 in the next fasciculus of our " Transactions." 



