232 
MEETING OF NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES. 
£8 15s., and of the bronze medal, 4/6, i.e ., with £8 10s. 6d.; if this be 
done the credit balance of £3 4s. 6d. will he converted into a debit 
balance of £5 6s., and it will be necessary for the Council to consider 
what steps should be taken to meet this in the coming year. 
Votes of thanks were then passed to the Officers of the Union 
(acknowledged by Mr. W. J. Harrison), and to the Officers and 
Members of the Peterborough Natural History Society (acknowledged 
by Dr. T. J. Walker). 
It was resolved that Mr. T. H. Waller, B.A., B.Sc. (Birmingham) 
should be elected as Honorary Secretary for the ensuing year, and 
that Mr. E. de Hamel should be re-elected as Honorary Treasurer. 
The meeting terminated with a vote of thanks to the Chairman, 
proposed by Sir H. Wake, and seconded by Mr. de Hamel. 
LOCAL EXCURSIONS. 
Immediately after the meeting a large number of the members 
of the Union proceeded to the Cathedral, where they were met by the 
Rev. Canon Argles and the Rev. Canon Macdonnell. The former 
gentleman entered into a long description of the building, giving an 
account of its early history, and explaining its construction, and the 
style of architecture. After inspecting the nave the restoration works 
were visited, and here Canon Argles thoroughly explained the old 
defects and the reasons for pulling down the central tower. A few 
of the members went on a botanical excursion to Thorpe Hall (by 
kind permission of C. I. Strong, Esq.) and Holywell, returning by the 
River Nene ; others paid a visit to the section of cornbrash exposed 
by the railway. 
CONVERSAZIONE. 
A very successful Conversazione was held in the Fitzwilliam Hall 
on Wednesday evening. The tables were arrayed with various 
objects of local and general interest, scientific, antiquarian, literary, 
&c., including relics from the Fenland and Saxon and Roman 
remains from Castor, Peterborough, and neighbourhood; the 
collections of flint implements, fossils, and Roman and Saxon pottery, 
bronzes, weapons, &c., being remarkably good. The objects under the 
microscopes were of the usual character, and there was a capital 
fresh-water aquarium. At intervals selections of music were per¬ 
formed by a band, under the directorship of the Rev. W. F. Wilkinson. 
In the course of the evening Dr. T. J. Walker delivered a very in¬ 
teresting address on the Pre-historic and Roman Remains found in the 
neighbourhood of Peterborough, illustrating his remarks by the actual 
specimens, of which there was a grand display in the numerous glass 
cases. 
Afterwards, in the adjoining hall, Mr. W. Jerome Harrison, F.G.S., 
lectured upon “ The Ice Age and the Stone Age,” illustrating his 
remarks by a number of views, admirably shown by the oxyhydrogen 
lime-liglit. 
SECOND DAY—THURSDAY, June 26th. 
UPLAND EXCURSION TO BEDFORD PURLIEUS. 
Leader, Mr. J. W. Bodger. 
Starting from Peterborough Market Place at nine o’clock, the 
“Alpine” party (about thirty-five in number) drove westward 
to Water Newton, where the river gravels were examined, and 
where some of the visitors obtained quite a collection of 
(fragmentary) Roman pottery. After examining Chesterton Church, 
