86 



The Forty -Fifth General Meeting. 



century downwards, presented by Mr. John Mullings. Mr. A. S. 

 Maskelyne, of the Kecord Office, has most kindly undertaken the 

 considerable labour of cataloguing and arranging these documents, 

 as well as others that the Society possesses, and of editing their 

 contents for printing in the Magazine. The first instalment appears 

 in the current number. 



" In addition to this there have been a number of less important 

 but still very welcome gifts, which have been acknowledged in the 

 Magazine. In this connection the thanks of the Society are also 

 due to the Rev. Gh P. Toppin and Miss Du Boulay, both of whom 

 have done good work in the preparation of volumes of cuttings and 

 scraps for the Library. Two new book-cases have been provided 

 in the Library, and this has made it possible to number the shelves 

 and arrange the books, so that any book or pamphlet can now be 

 found at once by reference to the catalogue. 



"The extensive collection of drawings, prints, and maps belonging 

 to the Society has been considerably added to of late by purchase, 

 and the whole of it (with the exception of the Wilts Portraits) has 

 now been carefully arranged, all the prints and drawings being 

 mounted in scrap books, and the catalogue, which has been several 

 years in preparation, and has entailed no small amount of work in 

 its compilation, will shortly be issued to Members. It is hoped that 

 this may be of use in directing attention to the many drawings and 

 prints possessed by the Society of buildings now altered or destroyed. 



" 8. In accordance with a resolution arrived at by the Congress 

 of Archaeological Societies, held at Burlington House in December 

 last, our Society has begun the work of compiling a descriptive 

 catalogue of the portraits noio existing in the county. Some progress 

 has been made by the Committee appointed for the purpose, and 

 about eight hundred of the printed forms, which have to be filled 

 up, have been already distributed to picture owners and others who 

 are willing to assist in this work. The idea is that the original 

 returns shall be preserved in the Society's Library, whilst a careful 

 copy is made of them to be deposited at the National Portrait 

 Gallery in London. The Society asks all owners of portraits^ 

 whether oil paintings, water colours, or miniatures, even in the case 



