206 proceedings of societies. 



South London Microscopical and Natural History Club.* 



An Ordinary Meeting of this Club was held on Tuesday evening, 

 July ISth, at Glo'ster Hall, Glo'ster Place, Brixton Road. Henry 

 Deane, Esq., F.L.S., in the chair. 



Mr, Britten, F.L.S., of the Herbarium, Kew, read a paper " On 

 the Work of Local Societies, especially in connection with Botanical 

 Science." The following is an abstract of this paper : — 



The primary duties of local societies are briefly these : — to bring 

 together those persons, residing in a given district, who have paid at- 

 tention to any group of natural objects, that they may, with mutual 

 advantage, compare specimens and notes ; to encourage others in the 

 formation of similar tastes, and to put them in the way of following 

 them out in the manner most likely to be of practical use to them- 

 selves ; and to investigate, as far as possible, the natui'al productions 

 of the district, either with a view to the publication of a local fauna and 

 flora, or merely for the purpose of self-instruction. The mere fact of 

 joining such a body indicates a taste for the study of nature, which 

 is in itself a good sign, but it must be remembered that no mere 

 accumulation of money can make a local society successful : you 

 may be rich in cash, but bankrupt in matters of greater value ; while 

 if your storehouses of knowledge be full, empty coffers will matter 

 little. 



A book upon the flora of Surrey was published eight years ago by 

 the Helmsdale Natural History Club. It may be considered a fairly 

 complete work, but one point in which it is deficient is its want of his- 

 torical interest. It is exceedingly interesting for a botanist to note 

 the influence of civilization upon the flora of a region. To the anti- 

 quarian, what memories of old times are conjured up by the records 

 of the fathers of English botany, of the London plants such as they 

 were in those days ; when we might find on our evening rambles in 

 the fields near " a theatre by London " (that is, the first public theatre 

 in London, built in Shoreditch about 1570) wonderful double butter- 

 cups ; when Penny-Cress grew in the " streete of Peckham " ; when 

 the small autumn hyacinth grew " upon a banke by the Thames side 

 between Chelsey and London." One can picture to oneself Gerarde 

 l)oring over the plants growing in his large garden in Holbom " within 

 the suburbs of London," or John Parkinson, the king's herbarist, whoso 

 garden was in Long Acre, going down to Westminster to inspect the 

 famous collection of carnations of his friend Ralph Tuggy, and one 

 is tempted to wander ofi" into sj)eculations as to what these worthy 

 men of bygone days would say were they suddenly to return to life 

 and see all the changes that have taken place since that time, or 

 what we should do or say if put back in an equally sudden manner 

 for 300 years or so ! This question of " antiquarian botany," as it is 

 sarcastically called, shows us the immense influence exercised by 

 man upon the flora of a country, simply in a destructive manner. 

 There is no need to go back to Gerarde and Parkinson for this : 

 fifty years ago interesting plants grew at Battersea, and some of 



* Keport by T. HovGiiden, Esq. 



