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SECOND WINTER MEETING.

Tuesday, 28th January, 1913.

Mr. N. M. RICHARDSON presided, and among those who attended were the Rev. Herbert Pentin, Canon ManselPleydell, Captain Elwes, Mr. E. R. Sykes, F.Z.S., and Mr. Alfred Pope, F.S.A. Three candidates for membership were elected by ballot, and the HON. SECRETARY read a list of eight additional nominations.

EXHIBITS.

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The PRESIDENT exhibited The Paraphrase of Erasmus on the New Testament, 1548-9," a translation of the original work in Latin written by Erasmus chiefly in 1523 and 1524, one portion as early as 1519. In the earlier version the paraphrase is continuous, with no text; but in the translation the Bible text is split up into small portions, each of which is followed by a dissertation, with prefaces, prologues, and arguments before most of the different books. It seemed that Queen Catherine Parr had much to do with the initiation and carrying out of this work, and the first five dedications were to her. Perfect copies were rare, as the book was much used, and few Church copies were likely to have survived Mary's reign, as all English Church Bibles were then ordered to be destroyed.

Lieut.-Colonel Mainwaring brought the larva and pupa of the Cicada, or singing grasshopper, found in Central America. The male insect possesses considerable vocal powers, but the female is mute. Specimens of the smaller English Cicada were also exhibited by the President.

Captain Acland, F.S.A., produced a series of photographs of the excavations carried out at Maumbury during August and September, 1912; these plates will accompany Mr. Gray's report printed in this volume. Captain Acland then drew attention to a model of the earthwork lent by the Brighton

Museum, to which it had been presented by the late Mr. Charles Warne.

Mr. Alfred Pope, F.S.A., exhibited a charm of lapis lazuli worn by Hindoo women, with a calendar and the signs of the Zodiac inscribed upon it.

PAPERS.

Canon J. M. J. Fletcher read a paper on "St. Cuthburga of Wimborne Minster," based upon a translation which he had made of a Latin manuscript now in the Lansdowne Collection in the British Museum, and formerly preserved in Romsey Abbey.

Mr. J. S. Udal, F.S.A., read a paper entitled "Dorset Weather Lore;" several members took part in a discussion upon the subject.

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The Rev. O. Pickard-Cambridge contributed a paper on 'New and Rare British Arachnids," which was read by the President, in the absence of the author.

Mr. Richardson also read the introduction, prepared by himself, to notes upon the Lepidoptera of Purbeck, by Mr. Eustace Bankes.

A paper dealing with the brewers of Sherborne in 1383, by Mr. E. A. Fry, was read on his behalf by the Hon. Secretary.

Mr. W. de C. Prideaux had promised a further instalment of his descriptions and rubbings of Dorset memorial brasses, but illness in his family prevented him from attending the meeting.

ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING.

Tuesday, 6th May, 1913.

This meeting was held in the reading room of the Dorset County Museum, the chair being taken by the President, Mr. Nelson M. Richardson, at 12.30. Among those who attended were the Rev. H. Pentin, Canon Mansel-Pleydell, Captain Elwes, and Mr. Clement Reid, F.R.S.

Seven new members were elected by ballot, and six nominations for membership were announced by the Hon. Secretary. Mr. W. de C. Prideaux exhibited a number of rubbings of memorial brasses and described their points of interest, calling particular attention to the brass of Dr. Nathaniel Highmore, an anatomist of the 17th century.

The President then delivered his ninth annual address, which is printed in this volume.

Mr. Clement Reid, in proposing a vote of thanks to the President for his valuable address, remarked that Mr. Richardson had modestly omitted any reference to his own research work, but they all knew how much he was doing for the advancement of science. The proposal was seconded by Canon Usherwood and carried with applause.

Canon Mansel-Pleydell, the Hon. Treasurer, presented a statement of the accounts for 1912, which showed that the year ended with an increased credit balance. Captain Elwes, in moving the adoption of the accounts, congratulated the Treasurer on the satisfactory result, and the President expressed his appreciation of the management of the Club's finances.

The Rev. Herbert Pentin reported, as Hon. Secretary, that the number of members during the past year had fluctuated between 390 and 400, the limit. Mr. Pentin also referred to the successful meetings of the previous summer, and produced an audited account of the expenses, showing a balance in hand.

The report of the Hon. Editor as to the forthcoming volume was read by Mr. Henry Symonds, who observed that the Club was indebted to Dr. Colley March, Mr. Heywood Sumner, and the Maumbury Excavation Committee for providing or contributing towards the cost of the illustrations for their respective papers.

Mr. C. J. Cornish Browne, the Hon. Director of the Photographic Survey, reported that 107 photographs had been added to the collection since the last annual meeting, viz., 25 by the Rev. J. Ridley, one by Mr. C. Mate, and 81 by the Director.

Mr. T. H. R. Winwood read the following notes prepared by Captain Acland, the Curator of the Museum, concerning the additions to the Library and Museum during the past twelve months

I have much pleasure in taking this opportunity of bringing to the notice of the Dorset Field Club some of the acquisitions to the County Museum since the last Annual Meeting.

In the Geological section the Oxford Clay Fossils have been examined, and where necessary re-named by Dr. A. Morley Davies, of South Kensington, in accordance with the most recent classification, who in returning them drew special attention to one specimen, saying "this Ammonite belongs to a genus Reineckia, very rare in England; it is a beautiful specimen showing the mouth border on one side, and it should be given a place of honour."

Printed labels will now be attached to this series, in the same manner as was done to some others with the help of the late Mr. Hudleston and our President, Mr. Nelson Richardson.

As additions to our collection of birds we have had a Golden Oriole, taken at Wrackleford, and two specimens of the Little Owl, one from Came, the other from Owermoigne. It is of interest to note that during last summer another of the same species was taken near Wool, and a fourth was seen at Kingston Russell.

A folio Volume, an Herbarium dated 1766, has at last found a home in the Museum. It contains botanical specimens collected by Dr. Hawkins, of Weymouth, which are considered of much value, as they belong to such a distant period. They are, however, by no means all found in Dorset. The book is presented by Mr. Winwood.

Some pieces of ancient buried oak exhibited here recently by Mr. Rawlence were presented by him to the Museum; the details of their discovery will appear in the Volume of Proceedings.

We have also acquired, through the kindness of Mr. Forsyth, a collection of beetles, which have been placed in the cabinet of Lepidoptera, under the special care of Mr. Richardson.

With the exception of a few more objects from Maumbury Rings, nothing of special interest has been acquired for the collection of either Roman or prehistoric antiquities; but of objects nearer to our own time we have obtained some good exhibits, viz., a large and terriblelooking man-trap from Pydeltrenthide; a massive pole hook for clearing thatch off the roofs of burning houses; the barrel of a musket from the Chesil Bank, completely covered with shells and sea pebbles; a good example of a metal tinder box, found under the eaves of an old house in Dorchester; and a XVI. or early XVII. century chair retaining the original leather, presented by Mr. de Lafontaine.

The Library has been enriched by some volumes worthy of mention, partly by purchase, but partly also by the kindness of donors. Among the former I may mention Mr. Abercromby's "Bronze Age Pottery," finely illustrated and containing plates of a large number of the Sepulchral Urns now in the Dorset County Museum, and of objects found with the burials. This work is described by the author as an attempt to arrange in chronological order the chief types of cinerary urns, beakers, and food vessels, and will probably become a standard book. The Dictionary of National Biography has been completed by the purchase of the three supplementary volumes, which deal with the years 1901 to 1911. The only Volume yet published of the County of Dorset in the Victoria History of the Counties of England has been obtained; curiously enough, it is called Volume Two; it deals with the Ecclesiastical History, Political History, Sport, Industries, &c. And partly by purchase, partly through the generosity of Dr. Colley March, we have added 31 Volumes to the series of Archæologia. The Library now contains a set (51 Vols.) of these valuable books, from Vol. 28, date 1840, to Vol. 62, of 1911. Haydn's Dictionary of Dates and many books of reference useful to Members and Subscribers to the Museum have been acquired.

The Borough Surveyor of Dorchester has presented an interesting set of plans and sections measured while the surface drainage scheme in Dorchester was being carried out in 1911-1912. These sections may prove of much value in any future discussion of the exact site of the Roman defences of Durnovaria. They will probably show that the Roman Wall on the south side of the town did not run exactly parallel to the present avenue and South Walks.

In addition to the Volumes of "Archæologia" given by Dr. Colley March, we have to acknowledge the handsome volume of British Miniature Painters by and from Mr. J. J. Foster; two numbers of "Vetusta Monumenta," from Mr. J. S. Udal; and from the Bishop of

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