X 



SECEETAEIES' REPORT. 



Mar. 3. William Cowper: Poet and Letter 



Writer . . . . Mr. E. S. Jackson, m.a. 



„ 10. Additional Evidence respecting Marie 



Stuart . . . . Rev. J. E. Risk, m.a. 



17. On an early English Romance of Sir 

 Ferumbras, and the Charlemagne 



Romances generally . . . Mr. J. Shelly. 



„ 24. National Education . . . Mr. W. Adams. 



„ 31. Pauperism . . . . A. P. Prowse. 



A new feature has been introduced in the arrangements of the 

 Session by the publication of a weekly Journal of the Society, 

 containing the programme of the lecture for the week, and an 

 abstract more or less full of the lecture delivered in the week 

 previous : to these have been added notices of any occurrence in 

 science, art, archaeology, natural history, &c. which seemed worthy 

 of record. 



It was hoped that the Journal would have been more largely 

 used by members for this latter purpose than has been the case : 

 failing such a use of it, it becomes a question how far the expense 

 of continuing the Journal is met by any adequate result. 



At the anniversary meeting, held on the 1st of May, short 

 papers were read before the Society as follows : — 



By Mr. T. R. Archer Briggs— On some Plants discovered in the neigh- 

 bomhood. 



By Mr. Spence Bate, f.r.s. — On some of the Antiquities of Dartmoor. 

 By Mr. A. P. Prowse — On Railway Facts and Statistics, 

 By Dr. C. A. Kingston — On the Relation of Temperature to the Health of 

 Plymouth. 



The Conversazione was held on January 13th, and was most 

 successful, both in the number present and the interest excited. 

 Portraits of local worthies formed an interesting feature in the 

 decorations of the hall, and included amongst other the following : 

 — The late Mr. D. Derry, Mr. Jacobson, Mr. T. Woollcombe, Mr. 

 C. Trelawny, Dr. Eutter, Mr. S. Cook. Music, both vocal and 

 instrumental, was added to the engagements of the evening, which 

 were varied by the exhibition of microscopic objects through a 

 powerful oxyhydrogen microscope. 



In August last the British Association held their meeting at 

 Exeter. One day was given to excursions to Plymouth and Devon- 

 port and the neighbourhood ; but beyond the personal attendance of 

 many of the members your Institution was not identified with 



