The Report. Ill 



county, as it presented itself more prominently to the notice of those 

 \ residing near any of the localities it has hitherto visited in its 

 Annual Congress : they will also see on what grounds your Com- 

 mittee promulgate their opinion, that the Society having proved 

 itself to be no ephemeral development of a passing fancy, but to be 

 firmly rooted in the county, the time has now arrived when efforts 

 may be made for securing its permanence, strengthening its powers, 

 and accomplishing one of its principal intentions, by building such 

 a Museum and Library as shall be adequate for the Collections 

 already rapidly accumulating, and which your Committee have 

 confident expectations will be considerably enriched, when a more 

 permanent as well as more suitable place of deposit is provided. 

 Fully impressed with this conviction your Committee has been 

 engaged in considering the best means of accomplishing their 

 object, and though they are not prepared at the present moment to 

 lay any distinct proposal before you, yet they are happy to state 

 that the scheme which has been suggested to some of the more 

 influential gentlemen of the county has met with the warmest 

 encouragement, and with offers of very liberal donations towards its 

 completion, which your Committee trust will be met with like 

 liberality on the part of members generally, and for which they 

 would beseech your co-operation and support when the time comes. 



It remains only to thank those who have during the past year 

 contributed to our collections ; among whom we would especially 

 mention Mr. Blackwell and Captain Gladstone, each of whom has 

 presented above seventy bird skins to the Museum : the Bishop of 

 Brisbane, who has largely added to our Geological collections : and 

 Mr. Darby Griffith, who has added sundry volumes to the Library : 

 besides others who in a smaller way have enriched our Museum 

 with many valuable additions. 



And here again we may congratulate ourselves that the intention 

 of the Society seems now to be thoroughly understood ; and as its 

 object is now known to be solely the collection of information re- 

 lating to the Archaeology and Natural History of Wiltshire, with 

 a view to the completion of a history of the County, it has met 

 with universal support, sympathy and good will on all sides, pro- 



