HERTFORDSHIRE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 
XIX 
of the presence of Dr. Braithwaite, F.L.S., Dr. M. C. Cooke, A.L.S., 
Mr. E. M. Holmes, F.L.S., and Mr. Worthington G. Smith, E.L.S., 
hy whom about 150 species of cryptogamic plants were identified, 
including one very rare moss, S'eligeria paucifolia. 
Eor hospitality kindly afforded at the Eield Meetings the Society 
is indebted to Mr. McGregor, Aldenham Abbey; to Mr. Littleboy, 
at Brickhill Green, Berkhamsted ; to Mr. T. F. Buxton, Easneye 
Park; and to Mr. George Rooper, hlascott House, Watford, at the 
Cassiobury meeting. 
In addition to these field meetings, on Saturday afternoon, the 
28th of April, a visit was paid to the Zoological Gardens, Regent’s 
Park, under the guidance of Dr. P. L. Sclater, F.R.S., Secretary 
of the Zoological Society, who gave most interesting lecturets on the 
principal Mammalia, treating of the geological and geographical 
range of the different families, of their anatomical differences, and 
their peculiar habits. His remarks were listened to with great 
attention, and at the conclusion of his last discourse the members 
present accorded to him a cordial vote of thanks. The members 
and their friends were admitted into the gardens free. 
On Wednesday evening, the 31st of October, a conversazione 
was given at the Watford Public Library, by the Chairman, Mr. J. 
J. Smith. All the members of the Society were invited, and a 
room was appropriated to exhibits by them. Several members 
brought their microscopes, and, besides the objects thus exhibited, 
most of which were living, many other interesting natural objects 
were displayed. 
In the report for 1881 it was stated that the MS. of the late Mr. 
R. A. Pryor’s ‘ Flora of Hertfordshire ’ had been entrusted to Mr. 
James Britten, F.L.S., who had undertaken to edit it for the Society. 
It having recently been ascertained that no progress had been made 
with the work, the MS. has now been transferred to your Secretary, 
Mr. Hopkinson, who has secured the services of Mr. A. E. Gibbs 
in transcribing it and assisting him in its preparation for the press. 
Mr. Pryor’s botanical views differed so materially from those of the 
majority of our English botanists, especially in the vexed questions 
of what constitutes a variety, a sub-species, a species, and a genus, 
that it is impossible to bring out the work in conformity with the 
nomenclature of any existing British Flora, and as some portions of 
the MS. appear to express his latest views, while others do not, and 
there is much that the author evidently only intended for his own 
reference, although no indication is given as to what he intended to 
be printed and what to be omitted, the work of editing will be 
an arduous undertaking, and will occupy a considerable time. An 
introduction on the physical features of the county considered in 
relation to the distribution of its plants has also to be written. 
The Society’s Library continues to receive considerable accessions 
by donation and exchange, but it is not made use of by the members 
to the extent that might be anticipated from its value. This is 
probably partly due to the want of a complete catalogue, and partly 
to the want of sufficient space to render the books easily accessible. 
