REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR IQ 02 . 
7 
should be, provided without the adoption of schemes that 
endangered the antiquities of our city. 
It is with peculiar pleasure that your Council records the 
work done by Dr. Tempest Anderson, a Vice-President and 
Honorary Secretary of this Society. His appointment by the 
Royal Society to investigate the results of the recent outbursts 
in the Windward Islands was a gratifying recognition of many 
years’ study of volcanic phenomena in various parts of the 
world. It reflects no small credit on this Society that one of 
its members should have been selected by the hightest scientific 
authorities in the country to carry out so important a work. 
The results of his labours, and those of his colleague, Dr. Flett, 
are embodied in a report to the Royal Society; but Dr. Anderson 
kindly gave the citizens of York an opportunity of hearing and 
seeing the most important of these results by delivering a lec¬ 
ture in the Festival Concert Room, illustrated by lantern 
pictures from photographs that he had taken at the scene of the 
disasters. 
Among the most interesting work done during the year has 
been that undertaken by the County Committee for the pre¬ 
servation of Clifford’s Tower. Those entrusted with this work 
have shewn themselves very wishful that specimens found, and 
observations taken, during its course should be preserved and 
recorded by this Society ; and our special thanks are due to Mr. 
F. J. Munby (the Castellan), Mr. Mott (the Engineer), and 
Mr. Talbot (the Superintendent of the work), for the facilities 
they have afforded to Mr. Benson and the keeper of the Museum 
for investigating the excavations. The results of these investi¬ 
gations will he given in another part of this report. 
Turning to the internal affairs of the Society, the first subject 
that claims our attention is that of the excavations in the choir 
of S. Mary’s Abbey Church. On this it is necessary to dwell 
at some length, as many people seem to misunderstand the 
work and the aims of the excavation committee in carrying it 
out. The remains of the wall foundations disclosed were so 
saturated with moisture and so denuded of cement that they 
were rapidly disappearing, and prompt measures had to be 
taken for their protection. They were also so fragmentary that 
the ordinary visitor could not have readily gathered from them 
