PRESIDENT S ADDRESS. XC1X. 



of the South Pole of Lieut. Shackleton, which is by far the 

 nearest point attained. Many valuable observations have been 

 made which will add to our knowledge of those regions. Two 

 more Antarctic expeditions are now in course of preparation. 

 Dr. Sven Hedin has returned from Tibet and Dr. Stein from 

 Central Asia, the first with much geological and geographical 

 information, the latter with many documents of the third to 

 the eighth century, besides improvements in the map. The 

 manuscripts are in Indian, Chinese, and Tibetan languages. 

 The account of explorations in Guatemala by Mr. Maler, with 

 photographs of sculptured figures and inscriptions, has lately 

 been published by the Peabody Museum of American Arch- 

 aeology, and adds much to our knowledge of this little known 

 region. 



ARCHEOLOGY AND ANTHROPOLOGY. 



The chief archaeological work which has this year been carried 

 out in Dorset has been the excavation of Maumbury Rings, 

 otherwise known as the Amphitheatre, by Mr. St. George Gray, 

 with the assistance of Mr. Charles Prideaux. The result, so far 

 for it is proposed to continue the excavations this year appears 

 fully to justify the belief that this was used as an amphitheatre in 

 the time of the Romans. But the spot had been occupied by 

 Neolithic people in much earlier times, as was shown by the 

 discovery of a deep pit containing picks made of deer's antlers 

 and other implements. Another excavation, carried out by the 

 Rev. G. H. Engleheart and Mr. Le Jeune at Hemsworth, near 

 Wimborne, on the site of a Roman villa, has brought to light 

 some beautiful and interesting pavements. Maiden Castle has 

 been put under the care of the Commissioners of Works, so that 

 this, our finest earthwork, will, let us hope, be safe from inter- 

 ference. It is much to be regretted that, in spite of protests 

 from the Society of Antiquaries and others, a projected railway 

 on Dartmoor is to pass close to some of the most interesting 



