194
The Presidential Address.
query as to the ancestry of Vanessa Urticae, reprinted in extenso
in the 'Entomologist' for August, 1881; Mr. English's
contribution to the history of "sugaring" for moths; and
Mr. Saville Kent's admirable sketch of the Infusoria. In
the department of Botany our energetic member Prof. Boulger
has dealt with the larger problems of the evolution of fruits,
and the origin and distribution of the British flora. In
Geology we have been the means of giving publicity to Mr.
Dalton's paper on the Blackwater Valley—a paper which is
to be valued not only on account of its intrinsic interest, but
because it has given us an opportunity of justifying an appeal
to those officers of H.M. Geological Survey who have worked
in our county, to enrich our 'Transactions' with some of their
observations.
Our labours in the field of pre-historic Archaeology demand
more than a passing notice. Interesting "finds" of flint and
bronze weapons have been exhibited and described by Mr.
Henry Corder. The excavation of the ancient earthwork
known as Ambresbury Banks has been so far successful that
we are now able to state conclusively that this camp is of
British construction. But although we have thus far dis-
pelled the mystery enshrouding one of these Forest Camps,
it must not be supposed that our investigations, commenced
under such fortunate circumstances, are by any means com-
pleted. At least one other section through the Ambresbury
earthwork will be desirable in order to obtain, if possible,
more definite evidence as to the precise period of its erection,
as stated in the report published in the last part of our
'Transactions.' We have further to congratulate ourselves
that the exploration of the Loughton camp, which we hope
to undertake in the course of the ensuing summer, has been
considered a task worthy of recognition by the British
Association, that body, at the jubilee meeting held in York,
having appointed for this purpose a committee composed of
members of our Club. I have no doubt but that the necessary
funds will be forthcoming when an appeal is made to our
members at large.
My review of this, our first extensive undertaking in the