Annual Meeting — January 25th, 1887. 



The annual meeting of the members of this society was held at 

 the Town Hall, on Tuesday evening, Dr. Fitz-Gerald presiding. 

 There were also present Dr. T. Eastes, the Eev. A. L. Hussey, the 

 Bev. W. Hall, and Messrs. Walton, Knight, H. Ullyett, Hon. Sec, 

 A. H. Ullyett, and others, together with a good number of lady 

 members. 



The President lent a number of very interesting photographs, 

 among them being a portrait of Rameses II. (Pharaoh, the oppressor 

 of the Israelites in Egypt), taken from his mummy recently 

 discovered. The business commenced with the reading of the 

 Secretaky's Eeport as follows : — 



"I am happy in being able on this our 19th annual meeting to 

 congratulate the Society on its continued prosperity and success ; 

 the number of members during the past year has been 106, and 

 all the meetings have been well attended. Our balance sheet leaves 

 us just solvent, and we have a reserve fund of £20 in the bank. That 

 sum, as you are aware, was given by one of our members on her leav- 

 ing Folkestone — Mrs. Eumsey, a lady whose face was familiar 

 at all our meetings, and who evinced great interest in our work. 

 This, the first donation, we have received, will it is hoped, be fol- 

 lowed by others, in which case the scope of the Society's work may 

 be very much enlarged. I regret to say that two of our members 

 have been removed by death — Mr. Arthur H. Taylor, who was an 

 ardent naturalist, and Mr. J. W. Eoberts, of Oheriton Gardens. 

 During the year 1886 we have held eight meetings, one of which 

 was on the Warren. The following papers have been read : — 

 The President's Address at the annual meeting in January. 

 Darwin and his opinions, by Mr. Smurthwaite. 

 Man and his relation to the lower animals, by the Rev. J. R. 



Duke, M.A. 

 The theory of Mai thus in relation to Darwinism, by the Secretary. 

 Common objects of our shore, by Mr. Walton. 

 The Colour of Leaves, by Mr. Gorham, of Tonbridge. 

 Sponges, by Dr. T. Eastes. 

 Degraded Forms of Animal Life, by the Secretary. 



Very fair discussions have followed some of these papers. The 

 approaching completion of the new building on Grace Hill, where 

 the library, reading room, museum, and science classes will all be 

 sheltered under one roof, is the realization of a dream, in which 

 some of us have indulged for several years. I think nothing 

 redounds so much to the honour of the ratepayers of Folkestone 

 as the fact that they themselves demanded this 'building to be 

 erected, and that at their own expense. Let us hope that a school 



