EDITOE'S PREFACE. 



In presenting to the Members the first volume of the Proceed- 

 ings of our new Society it seems proper to address a few words 

 to the reader upon the contents of the book. 



And, first, we would state, with regard to the papers, that for 

 the most part they are upon the subjects which have occupied the 

 attention of the Club, and when we say that we have promise of 

 papers for a future volume of greater extent than the present 

 we hope it will at once be seen how large and rich is the field 

 we have so well set out to illustrate. The Natural History and 

 Archaeology of the County of Dorset is indeed well worthy of 

 extended observation in the field, and will doubtless tend to the 

 collecting of rich stores for the study. The paper by our learned 

 President will show how rich are the botanical treasures ; whilst 

 the beautiful paper by Mr. Davidson is, we hope, only the 

 beginning of illustrations of the varied Palasontological objects 

 of the County, so many of which are still undescribed. 



The paper on the Cornbrash, by the Eev. H. H. Wood, and 

 the rare Crocodile discovered by Darell Stephens, Esq., from this 

 deposit, and so ably figured and described by Mr. Hulke and 

 the President, offer us a cheering assurance of what is to be done 

 in that direction. The list of Lepidoptera from the Island of 

 Portland will serve to show the insect riches of a small part of 

 the county, while a memoir on the spiders, which is promised by 

 the Eev. 0. P. Cambridge, will, in itself, insure a lively looking 

 forward to the appearance of a future volume ; and if to this be 

 added the promise of a new Flora of the County, by the Presi- 

 dent; a paper on the Fossils of the Cornbrash, by the Treasurer; 

 and illustrations of the Fauna of the Inferior Oolite, by the 

 Secretary, it will be seen that we are, at least, rich in promise. 

 The few papers referring to Archaeological matters may serve 



