PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS. Ixxxi. 



Palaeolithic engraving of the fore part of a horse on a fragment 

 of rib has been found near Sherborne in an old mound of 

 debris from a quarry, the only other similar British specimen 

 having come from the Creswell caves. The specimen is, 1 

 believe, in the Sherborne School Museum, and has been 

 described by our Hon. Member, Dr. A. Smith- Woodward. 

 On the evidence of certain beads now in the Devizes Museum, 

 and pronounced to be Egyptian of about the 14th Century, 

 B.C., the erection of Stonehenge is ascribed to that period. 

 This agrees fairly well with other available evidence. In 

 this section I would note the purchase of Maiden Castle by 

 the Duchy of Cornwall. Above all things it is important that 

 this magnificent camp should be preserved, as far as possible, in 

 its original condition, and we all, I am sure, trust this will be 

 done under its present ownership. I also wish to call attention 

 to two books of great interest to our Antiquarian Members 

 lately published on Dorset, one " The History of Beaminster,' : 

 by our Member, Mr. Richard Hine ; the other, " The Ancient 

 Earthworks of Cranbourne Chase," by Mr. Hey wood Sumner, 

 whose kindness and hospitality as our guide to the New 

 Forest Potteries last year we shall all remember. 



GENERAL. 



The Society for the Promotion of Nature Reserves has 

 lately been formed in this country for the purpose of acquiring 

 and preserving in a wild state suitable pieces of land. Of 

 these there are many in Dorset which still afford shelter to 

 certain plants and animals which anything approaching 

 cultivation would destroy. Even such an unattractive 

 patch as the Chesil Beach, between the Ferry Bridge and 

 Portland, contains species not found elsewhere in England, 

 and this in spite of the fact that a road runs along the middle 

 of it ; but there are also many much more beautiful spots 

 well worthy of preservation. In Germany since 1907 there 

 has been a State department for this purpose, and many 

 tracts have been preserved in this way to the great advantage 



