The Annual General Meeting. 



87 



of possessors of only one or two portraits, who are willing to assist 

 in this work by filling up the forms for their own pictures, to com- 

 municate with the Secretaries on the subject. 



4< 9. The sinking of deep wells in the chalk on the downs by the 

 War Department, and the cutting of the soil for railway purposes 

 in two or three parts of the county, has resulted in singularly little 

 discovery of interest to either archaeologists or geologists. Visitors 

 to Stonehenge are likely to increase enormously in numbers. It is 

 very greatly to be desired that the utmost vigilance and care should 

 be exercised to prevent the stones suffering damage. In such a 

 case it seems strange that in a country like England, so rich in 

 relics abounding in historical interest, no powers are conferred on 

 public bodies, or on such societies as ours, to protect what may be 

 so easily and so irretrievably damaged. The report of the Congress 

 of Archaeological Societies states, that it appears from a full inquiry 

 made by Government as to the steps taken in foreign countries for 

 the protection of ancient and historical monuments, that in no 

 country in Europe is so little protection given as in England. A 

 copy of the Blue Book containing the report is, we understand, to 

 be issued to the County Archaeological Societies. It may be hoped 

 that more general attention may be attracted to this matter whilst 

 there is time to preserve anything old. 



" In this connection it may be mentioned that the Secretaries 

 interfered successfully during the year to prevent the injury that 

 was being done to the outer ramparts of Barbury Castle, by the 

 digging of rubble there without the knowledge of the owner, who, 

 on his attention being called to the matter, promptly stopped the 

 work. 



" The Committee desires again to impress upon its Hon. Local 

 Secretaries and all other Members, that it rests with them, as well 

 as with the Committee and Officers of the Society, to keep up its 

 numbers and maintain its reputation." 



Mr. N. Story Maskelyne, in moving the adoption of the Report, 

 spoke of the importance of keeping up the numbers of the Society 

 in order to preserve the efficiency of the Magazine, and of the good 

 work which such societies did in helping to educate people to realise 



