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The first Evening Meeting of the present season was held on 

 December 18th, when Mr Earle, the "Rector of Swainswick, 

 gave the result of his researches on "The Early History of 

 Bath and its Neighbourhood." There was a good attendance, 

 and Mr. Earle 's original remarks elicited an animated dis- 

 cussion amongst the Members. Mr. Irvine exhibited, in 

 illustration, some valuable pencil sketches of objects of anti- 

 quarian interest in the city and neighbourhood ; amongst 

 these, the houses of the old yeomen, which had nearly all 

 passed away, and in examples of which the Batheaston valley 

 was so rich, were especially worthy of notice. Mr. Earle's 

 Lecture, together with a translation of one of the British 

 legends, describing the battle between Arthur and Childric, 

 which, in his opinion, took place on Solsbury Hill and 

 Hampton Downs, will be published in the forthcoming 

 number of the Proceedings. 



The Second Evening was divided between Dr. Bird and 

 Mr. McMurtrie. The former presented the Members with a 

 list of shells collected by himself in the Bath district during 

 the year 1867, specimens of which were exhibited. The 

 enumeration of the various shells found within a range of ten 

 miles round Bath was enlivened by a description of their 

 construction, habits, and haunts, and the important place 

 which they filled in the economy of nature. The Helix 

 cantiana, originally supposed to be restricted to Kent, was 

 abundant in this neighbourhood. The Helix virgata, too, 

 played a more important part than was generally supposed, 

 the flavour of the Lansdown mutton being attributed to the 

 sheep feeding on this small shell, which abounded in the 

 short grass of the Downs. Dr. Bird thought that all the 

 Helices were edible. After the Lecture the President made 

 remarks on some of the species. The Helix pomatia, often 

 supposed to have been introduced into this country — either 

 by the Romans or at some later period — he stated was now 



