26 
lantern Mibt Collection 
Acquisitions. Miss Penrose gave a number of slides of British Birds and 
Mammals. These include a number of slides by such prominent workers in their 
time as C. J. King, Francis Pitt and W. Farren, as well as Dr. Penrose's own 
work and the first photographs of the wild British Peregrin. During the year, 
slides from the Collection have been used by members to illustrate lectures. Some 
progress has been made in the work of sorting and examining the many slides 
not previously catalogued, but a lot remains to be done. 
J. C. Mitton 
(Sarfcen 
Persistent cold, damp and rainy weather for many months has not been 
encouraging to gardeners, but thanks to the help of several members the essential 
routine work has been maintained. Our thanks are due too to Mrs. W. A. 
Laberge. b.a. and other members for gifts of plants. 
W. Chome 
Siting iganel 
Members on the visiting list during the year numbered 12, now reduced to 
11 owing to the death of Mrs. F. C. Allen. Of these Miss K. M. Chilver is our 
oldest member, having joined the Society in 1912. Including the 4 members of 
the Committee the panel numbers 25. 
A. B. D. Edwards 
ardfiaeoiogp anb ?|t£torp 
Seven lectures were arranged this Session, details of which appear on pages 19/20. 
Also two Field Meetings, and a rendering on records of "Son et Lumiere" at the 
Pyramids. The Section also participated in the composite lecture entitled "Our 
Local Heritage'* to which members of the W.E.A. were especially invited. 
We would wish to place on record our thanks to the two visiting lecturers, 
Mr. R. N. R. Peers, m.a., a.m. a., for his splendid lecture on "The Country Houses 
of Dorset" which was the inspiration for a most successful Field Meeting to 
Forde Abbey later in the year, and to Mr. J. H. Lavender, b.sc, a.r.c.s., who 
gave us such a wonderful and coherent image of Hengistbury Head, past and 
present. We are not unmindful of our own member-lecturers, who contribute so 
much of their time and erudition for our benefit and pleasure; and they, too, are 
included in our thanks and appreciation. The "Son et Lumiere" recording proved 
so popular that it will be repeated by request. These records were made for the 
Egyptian Ministry for Culture and National Guidance and the whole project at 
Gizeh was carried out by world experts of "Son et Lumiere''. The historical 
material was arranged by archaeologists of many nationalities and the voices are 
those of well-known stage, radio and television personalities. As it was not 
possible to reproduce the "Lumiere" part of the proceedings, appropriate slides 
of Ancient Egypt were shown. 
Field Meeting to Muchelney and Glastonbury: at Muchelney Abbey we 
were able to inspect the Abbot's House, the only part of the Abbey left intact 
after the Dissolution, and to trace the ground plan of the church. According to 
tradition, this Abbey was founded by the Saxon King Ine about 697 A.D.. and 
recent excavations have brought to light a Saxon crypt. The Saxon building was 
replaced by a Norman Church which in its turn was replaced by a larger structure 
built in the Perpendicular style. When the repairs are completed this Abbey 
should merit another visit. Glastonbury, in the Vale of Avalon, is so steeped in 
legend and history that it is almost impossible to extricate the one from the other. 
According to legend, Glastonbury Tor. 500 feet in height, was originally an island 
surrounded by marshes and lapped by the River Brue. It was known to the 
Britons as the Isle of the Dead. It is also the Avalon of the "Idylls" where King 
Arthur went to "heal him of his grievous wound" in his 6th century war against 
the Saxons. Arthurs grave was discovered as a result of a monk's dream in 1190. 
At the spot revealed by the dream was found a hollow log coffin containing the 
