INT RODUC ET ON: 
YJHIS volume of ‘Transactions, the first issued by 
our Society, owes its existence primarily to the 
desire, long deferred through lack of funds, of placing upon 
record in a suitable manner, and with the necessary plans and 
illustrations, an account of the interesting Explorations carried 
on at Stapenhill in 1881 under the auspices of the Society. 
The financial position of the Society having at length allowed | 
this desire to be attained, the opportunity was taken of including 
in the volume those Papers which have been read either before 
the Society or one of its Sections during the past few years, 
and which appeared worthy, either on account of originality of 
matter or of treatment, of being assigned a position in our 
Transactions. 
The Publication Committee have to express their deep debt 
of gratitude to Mr. J. Heron, the Hon. Secretary of the Ex- 
ploration Committee, for the hearty way in which he threw 
himself into the preparation of the Report of the Explorations, 
and for the admirable way in which he has performed the task. 
Thanks are also due to Mr. J. Whitehead, of the Burton-on-Trent 
