252 MY LIFE AS A NATURALIST 



carried out by sectional recorders and curators in various 

 departments of Natural Science. The property of the Society 

 is vested in three trustees, who, under a trust deed, possess 

 certain powers which they may, or may not, put into operation, 

 but for which ample provision has been made.,. Weekly rambles 

 are held from April to September, with monthly meetings in 

 Summer, and fortnightly in Winter. Annual reports are pre- 

 sented on the subjects of Meteorology, Botany, Lepidoptera, 

 Ornithology, and other branches, whilst lantern lectures and 

 papers on a variety of subjects are also given. 



During its existence the Society has been active in many 

 directions, and one important feature of its work is collecting 

 and classifying local documents relating to the history and 

 folk-lore of the district, together with press cuttings, photos, 

 drawings, maps, biographies, books by local authors, and 

 manuscripts. 



As soon as the Society had found a home, and had more facilities 

 to offer to its members, its membership increased by leaps and 

 bounds, for, -as in June 1914, it only had a membership of fifty, 

 to-day it is the largest Society in Letch worth, with a total rapidly 

 approaching three hundred. This being so, the income of the 

 Society has increased sufficiently to warrant expenditure on 

 various incidentals necessary for the furnishing and upkeep of 

 a small museum, together with the purchase of specimens, and, 

 with the generous assistance of- many well-wishers, the Society 

 now finds that the first part of the building is already full up. 

 The present building is only the commencement of a much larger 

 undertaking. 



Complete plans have already been prepared, and these provide 

 for a three -storied Georgian building consisting of various rooms 

 and offices, with a large single-storey building at the east end 

 to form the larger museum. The present building, as a matter 

 of fact, will eventually merge into an entrance hall, and may 

 hereafter contain examples of local arts and crafts. It is so 

 constructed that, when an enlargement is effected, the same may 

 be carried out without any material alterations being necessary, 

 and the cases and cabinets have been so designed that they can 

 be applied to the larger building. The problem of enlargement 

 is now occupying the attention of the Society, and it is hoped 

 that means will be forthcoming to enable this to be accomplished 

 in the near future, as, in the meantime, offers of exhibits are 

 being received which cannot at present be shown, owing to lack 



