13 



to mention the Committee entrusted with the perfecting of 

 the arrangements, namely, Messrs. Barker, Billups, Pearce, 

 South, and Step, to whose untiring energy I have very 

 great pleasure in bearing testimony. 



Many valuable additions have been made to our Collections 

 and Library, and the best thanks of the Society are due to the 

 respective donors. Our Curators and Librarian continue to 

 exercise their accustomed care in the preservation of the 

 objects in their charge. 



A feature in the management of the Society during the 

 year has been the delegation to small committees of matters 

 requiring that continued and undivided attention which it is 

 impossible for the Council to give in the hour allotted to 

 them in each month : the system so far has worked admirably, 

 and I see no reason why it should not be more extensively 

 applied, with good results. As an illustration of its working 

 I am able to say that the somewhat voluminous reports of 

 our meetings have been carefully revised to the end of 

 November ; and should it be decided to print them in ab- 

 stract form, there is no reason why they should not be issued 

 early in the coming year. 



In his Address to you at the last Annual Meeting, my 

 worthy friend and predecessor, Mr. South, said that "Among 

 the many useful labours that should be undertaken by a local 

 Natural History Society, is the compilation of the Flora and 

 Fauna of its own particular district or county," and further 

 suggested that this Society was well qualified to take in 

 hand the preparation of such work. You will, no doubt, 

 remember, that early in the New Year the question was brought 

 forward at one of our meetings, and a resolution passed em- 

 powering the Council to collect and arrange the necessary 

 material for such a Fauna. The matter having been sifted 

 by the Council, it was decided that the area to be covered 

 should include the counties of Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Hamp- 

 shire, and Berkshire, being in effect the five counties South 

 of the Thames, from its source to outfall, and elected a 

 Committee to make preparations for carrying out the work. 



