session 1908-1909. 
XXXI 
plants and animals, was deprecated. “ Let us,” said Miss Hobson 
in conclusion, “if we have any love for science and the life about 
us, go back to our respective societies and do some little thing 
to stay the vast destruction going on around.” 
Mr. Wilfred Mark Webb alluded to the nineteen acres of 
woodland near London preserved as a bird sanctuary by the 
Brent Valley and Richmond branch of the Selborne Society. 
Your Delegate spoke of the intelligent use by a member of 
his Society (Mr. Bickerton) of the field-glass and camera for 
the observation of rare birds in their breeding haunts, stating 
that he had been careful not to divulge the sites. He read 
a letter which he had received that morning, written to him on the 
suggestion of an Assistant at Kew Hardens, asking for a number 
of roots of a rare local plant for medicinal purposes. His 
Society had a stringent rule against rare plants being uprooted 
and rare birds and other animals being killed, and this request 
would not be granted. 
Other members gave examples of the destruction of rare 
species and of efforts made to prevent such destruction. 
Second Meeting. 
Prof. H. H. Carpenter introduced the subject of “ Detailed 
Natural History Surveys of Restricted Areas, an important 
work suitable for Local Societies.” 
As examples of such surveys, that of Lambay Island, described 
in the ‘ Irish Naturalist ’ for 1907; North Bull, a grass-covered 
sandbank in Dublin Bay, now being explored; and Clare Island, 
of which the survey was to be commenced in the following year, 
were given. The Lambay Island survey added five new species 
of animals and twelve new to the Britannic fauna, a term which 
Prof. Carpenter suggested should be used for the (at present) 
United Kingdom, the term British being applied to Hreat 
Britain only. 
In the course of the discussion the small laboratory established 
some years ago by Mr. Robert Hurney on Sutton Broad, in 
Norfolk, was mentioned. It is now open to any naturalist 
wishing to carry on original research, at the cost of food only, 
which will be supplied by the caretaker. 
Mr. Henry Davey then advocated the advisability of re¬ 
stocking haunts whence the flora and fauna have disappeared, 
reading his paper on this subject which has been published in 
the 4 Annual Report ’ for 1908 of the Brighton and Hove 
Natural History Society, pp. 28-31. 
On this point it may be remarked that while the preservation 
of the existing flora and fauna should be aimed at, it is very 
doubtful whether re-stocking with species which have dis¬ 
appeared from any district would be permanently successful 
unless the cause of such disappearance were known and could 
be prevented, while to stock with species which were not 
indigenous might mislead naturalists and in some cases be 
