THE SECRETARIES’ REPORT. 369 
of the Royal Marine Band were engaged to perform selected pieces 
of music. Another interesting Conversazione was held at the open- 
ing of the new year, at which old books were the chief feature. 
Many of these were profusely illustrated. There were also a number 
of fine old engravings and etchings shown, and two pictures, portraits 
of Sir John Hawkins and Sir Francis Drake, were kindly lent—the 
one by Dr. Jago, the other by his Worship the Mayor—of no great 
value as works of art, but interesting to the antiquary. A vocal 
and instrumental concert was arranged by one of our members, Mr. 
William Square, aided by Miss A. Dwelley, Miss Burdwood, Miss 
A. Hubbard, and Mr. Bellamy, the whole conducted by Mr. Lohr. 
The programme was well selected, and the performance called forth 
continued applause from a most attentive audience. 
‘“‘ No pictures, drawings, or other art objects have been added by 
presentation to the Institution, The pictures in the hall have 
been sorely tried by the severity of the past winter. Wet walls 
and the intense heat of the gas, without sufficient ventilation, are 
silently working the premature decay. of the older pictures, whilst 
the light and heat of the summer are doing great mischief to them 
all. This calls for some immediate remedy. 
“A lecture on the life and works of the late Samuel Cook, 
delivered by Mr. William Eastlake, excited deep interest in a large 
audience, many of the members having personally known him, and 
some haying enjoyed his friendship. The discussion after the 
lecture was a series of affectionate tributes to his memory; and it 
is hoped that this paper will be fully recorded in the Annals of 
this Institution, forming a fitting companion to the Life of Samuel 
Prout, a life seemingly uneventful, but full of modesty, humility, 
and great self-denial, loving art for its own sake—a true example 
for the youth of the present day.” 
The Curator for Geology and Mineralogy reports : 
“ During the past year the Stonehouse Battery Hill has a second 
time yielded a very considerable osseous deposit, which, like its 
predecessor, has been presented to the Institution Museum. 
“The present is a very valuable, and in some respects unique, 
series of fossils. The complete. description and enumeration, 
together with the geological conditions under which the series has 
been found, forms the subject of an independent paper by Mr. R. 
N. Worth, F.«.s. 
