4 
there are still to be seen many ancient woodland monarchs of 
Nature’s own rearing; while near them, and growing with equal 
luxuriance, are the larch and silver fir of Central Europe, and the 
Norway spruce and Scots pine of more northern latitudes, all of 
which are introductions by man to this part of England, and all, 
except the Scots pine, exotics in the British Isles. To these have 
been added in later times the finest of the hardy trees culled from 
the forests of the world. Within the district visited many of 
these exotics found their earliest home in Britain, particularly those 
known as the “ Newer Coniferze’”—some of the first introduced 
and finest specimens of them in the kingdom being at Dropmore, 
one of the estates inspected. It was, therefore, evident that this 
Excursion promised to be most instructive as well as exceedingly 
interesting to arboriculturists from northern parts, and with the 
weather highly favourable for the work in hand, it turned out to 
be among the most successful of all the Excursions carried out 
by the Society. 
The Fortieth Annual General Meeting of the Society was held 
on Monday, 7th August, at 11.30 a.m, at 5 St Andrew Square, 
Edinburgh, when the President, Professor I. Bayley Balfour, 
delivered an able and instructive address, which appears in the 
Transactions ; oftice-bearers and 85 new members were elected, 
and the general business disposed of for the Session. 
After the meeting closed, the members joining the Excursion 
at Edinburgh mustered at the Princes Street Station of the Cale- 
donian Railway at 1.45 p.m., and took their seats in a special train 
of saloon carriages which was provided by the West Coast Route 
Companies for the railway journey, vid London and Windsor, to 
Southampton, and back to Edinburgh. Members, as usual, wore 
_ the badge of the Society—a sprig of Scots Fir—so that they might 
be easily recognised as belonging to the party. ‘This was more 
necessary than ever on the present occasion—so large was the 
party, and so many new members among them. 
The Excursion started about 100 strong from Edinburgh, and, 
like the river on its way to the ocean, it was constantly augmented 
by additions from various Scottish and English districts, until, on 
mustering at Windsor, it included no fewer than 150 members 
of the Society, among whom were the following gentlemen :— 
C. Adamson, Leven, Fife; John F. Annand, Edinburgh; Lieut.-Col. 
Bailey, R.E., Lecturer on Forestry, Edinburgh University; 
James Barrie, Stevenstone, Devon; James Barton, Hatfield, 
