XXxli. CHRISTCHITRCH, HANTS. 



SECOND SUMMER MEETING. 



CHRISTCHURCH, HANTS. 



Tuesday, 2lst July. 



This meeting of the Field Club was attended by Mr. and 

 Mrs. Nelson Richardson, the Rev. Herbert Pentin, Canon 

 Mansel-Pleydell, Colonel Mount Batten, His Majesty's 

 Lieutenant for the county, and about eighty members and 

 their friends. 



After assembling at Christchurch railway station, a visit 

 was made to the natural history museum of Mr. Edward 

 Hart, who had formed, in the course of many years, a 

 remarkable collection of birds, chiefly from the valleys of 

 the Stour and Avon. Mr. Hart conducted the visitors 

 through his museum, describing to them the habits and 

 abodes of the birds and commenting upon the more notable 

 specimens, the great majority of which had been not only shot 

 by the collector, but also stuffed and mounted by him. In 

 reply to a question, Mr. Hart said that the greatest treasure 

 was a unique variety of the bittern, killed at Winkton on the 

 Avon. Another variety was a little egret, which was very 

 seldom found in Britain. It should be added that the 

 collection was not limited to ornithological specimens, as it 

 included many wild mammals from the same district. 



The President then thanked Mr. Hart for his kindness in 

 acting as their guide. 



After luncheon at the riverside restaurant, Mr. Richardson 

 expressed the sorrow of the Club on hearing of the death of 

 the Rev. Osmond Fisher, the oldest of their honorary members, 

 who had reached the age of ninety-six years. It was 

 was regrettable that Mr. Fisher had not lived to see the 

 completion of the work at the Dewlish trench, in which he 

 had taken so keen an interest. 



