EDITORIAL OBSERVATIONS. 
565 
part. The thing before all others, however, as it appeared 
to us, which threw a gloom over the whole affair, was a want of 
that public spirit and esprit de corps on the part of the town 
authorities which have always formed so prominent a feature 
at the Society’s country meetings. 
No social or convivial gatherings, soirees , or intellectual 
assemblies bear record to the Society’s visit to Wolverhampton. 
Every one was asking his friend or neighbour whether the 
capital of the black country did really possess a mayor and cor- 
poration, and no one, not claiming the rights of denizenship, 
appeared to be able with confidence to answer the question. 
It is not many years since that the head of the corporation 
of a town located in a purely agricultural district, from the 
energy, activity, and liberality he displayed, not only contri- 
buted to render a meeting successful which had been regarded 
by many with gloomy anticipations, but won for himself the 
reputation of being “the best mayor (mare) for agricultural 
purposes.” The honour of winning the first prize by this 
gentleman has been followed by many successful competitors 
for the Society’s second and third prizes and “ high com- 
mendations” among the heads of other corporations ; but it 
seems that the mayor (mare) of Wolverhampton will hence- 
forth be remembered as having failed to obtain even a “ com- 
mendation” in any of the classes. 
The decision arrived at by the judges with regard to the 
want of sufficient merit in the chief of the local candidates 
seems to have had a most depressing influence over the rest 
of the competitors for public honours, and, with a few ex- 
ceptions, little was seen or known of any of them. 
The Society, however, has much to congratulate itself upon 
in the show itself, the merits of which contrast favorably with 
the merits of many former exhibitions. 
The entry of horses exceeded that of Oxford, and although 
not large, it contained, upon the whole, many better ani- 
mals than we have often seen brought together. The 
“ thorough-bred stallions suitable for getting hunters” did 
not to our mind possess any very special merit. The first 
prize fell to Mr. Casson’s “ Sincerity,” who took third honours 
last year at Oxford; the second to Mr. Watson’s “ Blink- 
