Address to the Ootteswold Naturalists’ Field Club, delivered at the 
Annual Meeting at Gloucester, on the 2nd of April, 1878, 
by the President, Sir W. V. Guisz, Bart., F.L.S., F.G.S. 
GENTLEMEN,— 
In calling together the members of the Cotteswold Club for 
the first meeting of the present year, it affords me pleasure to 
be able to give a good report of our condition and finances. The 
latter, under the able administration of our Hon. Secretary, 
show a balance in our favour of about £70. 
We have to lament the loss by death of our friend and 
colleague, the Rev. Hueu Fowzsr, whose presence will be much 
missed, as he will be personally regretted by all who knew him. 
Our numbers are well sustained, and our meetings have 
been generally fully attended. We have for publication some 
valuable papers. It is upon these that our reputation as a 
scientific body rests, and I desire to press strongly upon our 
working members the importance of maintaining and advancing 
our reputation in this respect. It has been said that in conse- 
quence of the short time generally allowable after dinner for 
the reading of papers there is no‘time for discussion, and that 
in consequence some are deterred from contributing papers at 
all. If this be so, I would urge in reply that our communica- 
tions, to be of value, should seek a calmer criticism than can be 
given in an after-dinner discussion; and as regards technical 
papers, a short abstract 1s sufficient at such a time, leaving the 
paper to be published i eatenso in our Transactions. In order, 
however, to meet the views of those who think that a longer 
time for discussion is desirable, it is proposed, if it meets the 
views of members generally, to appoint two or three afternoon 
meetings during the season for the purpose of reading and 
discussing papers. This proposition will be formally brought 
B 
