The Report for 1874.. 



leaving 1 a balance of £6 5,v. 5^. in hand. On this point your Com- 

 mittee desires to hint as delicately as possible, but at the same time 

 to impress on the minds of the friends of the Society , that while 

 fully sensible of the great liberality which the county has shown 

 towards it in this matter, and deeply grateful for the same, there is 

 yet a sum of about £300 wanting' to pay for the fittings already 

 supplied, and to complete the furnishing of the rooms and cases, 

 such as are needed to perfect our work ; and the Committee con- 

 fidently trusts that by means of the subscriptions of those who have 

 not already contributed, and perhaps by means of second donations 

 on the part of some few who may feel inclined to aid still further 

 than they have done, the necessary funds may be obtained for the 

 absolute completion of the work before the end of the year. 



" In the matter of additions to the collections contained in our 

 Museum and Library, during the past year, many valuable specimens, 

 illustrative of most of our branches of study, have been kindly sent 

 by various contributors, most of which have been acknowledged in 

 the Magazine. To these we have now to add (received within the 

 last few days) , a very handsome gift to the Library, in the shape of 

 fifty-four volumes of books, many of them of exceeding value, which 

 have been sent us by our first President and ever kind friend, Mr. 

 Poulett Scrope ; nor can we pass by in silence the munificent sum 

 of £50 from Mr. Poynder, being- the second donation which that 

 gentlemen has contributed to the general purposes of the Museum 

 and Library. 



" It only remains for the Committee to offer its hearty thanks to 

 these and the other benefactors of the Society, and again to entreat 

 the co-operation of all the members in carrying on the various re- 

 searches in which it is engaged. There is a great deal yet to be 

 learnt, both in regard to the antiquities, and to the natural history 

 of Wiltshire. Let the inauguration of the new Museum and Library, 

 and the attainment this day of its majority on the part of the 

 Society, prove a fresh motive for increased exertions on the part of 

 all who have an interest in the county ; for let it be remembered 

 that the work of such a Society as this, if it is to be exhaustive on 

 any one of the many subjects which it takes in hand, can never be 



