been brought forward, both from public and private sources; and, in short, there is scarcely any branch of historical and antiquarian research in connection with this county, the knowledge of which has not materially been advanced by the labours of our various contributors. Tangible proof of this remark is furnished by the fourteen volumes of the Magazine now before the public, of whose merits let an appreciative public judge.

"There is, however, one point on which the Committee in alluding to the Magazine cannot be silent, and that is the very deep debt of gratitude it owes to the labours of Canon Jackson; by whose pen every one of these fourteen volumes has been greatly enriched, and without whose accurate and interesting contributions our publication would be very inferior to what it is. To Canon Jackson the Committee desires to tender its most hearty thanks at this period of its history, and to assure him that it is keenly sensible of the large share he has had in promoting the success of the Society during the twenty-one years of its existence, while it earnestly hopes he will continue his invaluable labours in its behalf.

"With such substantial evidence of progress and prosperity the Committee cannot but review the first twenty-one years of the Society's existence with satisfaction, and pleasure. From small beginnings it has advanced to its present numbers, which (we are enabled to state on the authority of the Financial Secretary) never stood so high at any previous period of its history as now, for we have to-day 341 names on our books, and these members of the Society, scattered throughout the length and breadth of the county, if not all active in its cause, are all apparently well disposed to aid in carrying out its numerous and diversified objects. That it should in the long interval since its inauguration have lost many active supporters is only what was inevitable: many a head and many a hand that worked willingly with us twenty-one years ago is now cold in death; though many during that period have come worthily to fill up the ranks thus broken, and to give promise of continuous vitality to our archæological and natural history pursuits; and several of us who are now engaged in celebrating its majority, took an active part in the formation of the Society twenty-one years ago.

"And here it seems fitting to say that surely no Archæological Society in England can hold its meeting this year without referring to the loss which the great cause of antiquities has sustained in the death of Mr. Albert Way. As the recognized founder of the "Royal Archæological Institute," as for many years the editor of its admirable Journal, as the conductor of its operations whether during its sessions in London, or during its annual congress at one or other of the principal cities in the provinces; but above all as the everready and courteous adviser, to whom all enquirers might apply for information, and from whose copious stores of antiquarian knowledge in every branch of the subject, many of us have from time to time derived much valuable instruction, and many useful suggestions, Mr. Albert Way stood alone; so that to those who did not enjoy his personal acquaintance, his loss seems that of a private friend, as well as that of the chief referee and leader in the archæological world. "To return to our report of this Society during the last twelvemonth.

"Since we met last year at Swindon, we have lost by death four original members, viz., Mr. W. F. Lawrence, Mr. James Noyes, Mr. J. G. Nicholls, and Dr. Thurnam. Of the loss which this Society has sustained by the death of the last-named accomplished antiquarian, mention has been already made in the Magazine in the form of a short memoir; but the Committee cannot now allude to his decease, without repeating the most sincere expressions of regret, and their deep sense of his value as an archæologist of European reputation.

"With regard to finance, our balance in hand now amounts to £359 88. 1d., which is an apparent decrease on last year's balance of £17 11s. 11d., but inasmuch as during the year we have expended some £50 for furniture, and some £28 for books, beyond our ordinary outlay, it will be seen that our balance-sheet is, in reality, highly satisfactory.

"Then as regards the expenditure for Museum and Library, which is an account wholly distinct from the general fund of the Society, the subscription list amounts to £1117 3s., very nearly all of which has been received, and of this £1110 17s. 7d. has been expended,

leaving a balance of £6 58. 5d. in hand. On this point your Committee desires to hint as delicately as possible, but at the same time to impress on the minds of the friends of the Society, that while fully sensible of the great liberality which the county has shown towards it in this matter, and deeply grateful for the same, there is yet a sum of about £300 wanting to pay for the fittings already supplied, and to complete the furnishing of the rooms and cases, such as are needed to perfect our work; and the Committee confidently trusts that by means of the subscriptions of those who have not already contributed, and perhaps by means of second donations on the part of some few who may feel inclined to aid still further than they have done, the necessary funds may be obtained for the absolute completion of the work before the end of the year.

"In the matter of additions to the collections contained in our Museum and Library, during the past year, many valuable specimens, illustrative of most of our branches of study, have been kindly sent by various contributors, most of which have been acknowledged in the Magazine. To these we have now to add (received within the last few days), a very handsome gift to the Library, in the shape of fifty-four volumes of books, many of them of exceeding value, which have been sent us by our first President and ever kind friend, Mr. Poulett Scrope; nor can we pass by in silence the munificent sum of £50 from Mr. Poynder, being the second donation which that gentlemen has contributed to the general purposes of the Museum and Library.

"It only remains for the Committee to offer its hearty thanks to these and the other benefactors of the Society, and again to entreat the co-operation of all the members in carrying on the various researches in which it is engaged. There is a great deal yet to be learnt, both in regard to the antiquities, and to the natural history of Wiltshire. Let the inauguration of the new Museum and Library, and the attainment this day of its majority on the part of the Society, prove a fresh motive for increased exertions on the part of all who have an interest in the county; for let it be remembered that the work of such a Society as this, if it is to be exhaustive on any one of the many subjects which it takes in hand, can never be

accomplished by the zeal, however ardent, of a few; but must be the result of the combined efforts of many; so true and so applicable to its own pursuits is the Society's motto, emblazoned, as you will see it, by amateur hands, as you enter the Museum :—

'Multorum manibus, grande levatur onus.'"

Mr. E. P. BOUVERIE said he had been requested to move the adoption of the Report, which he did with very great pleasure. He did not however consider that he was worthy of so distinguished a position or of calling attention to the satisfactory points to which it referred. The only claim he could advance to be considered an archæologist was founded on the fact of his being a member of this Society. He had been hoping that he would have been accompanied to-day by a friend whose name was almost of world-wide celebrity -he meant Sir John Lubbock-who had promised to come with him to this meeting, but unfortunately he found he had a previous engagement which prevented him doing so. Sir John was a gentleman eminently qualified to have addressed them with advantage and instruction, and was well known for his zeal in the pursuit of archæological subjects. He was glad to say Sir John had become a Wiltshire proprietor,as many present might be aware,and had acquired a portion of Avebury, and had expressed an ardent wish to preserve those ancient monuments there which some seemed anxious to destroy. He remembered quite well while travelling across this county, from north to south, some 40 or 45 years ago, seeing a party of men breaking up the grand old stones at Avebury, for the purpose of mending the roads. Now let them hope that partly owing to the exertions and interposition of such Societies as this, that spirit was passing away, and that there was a desire to maintain those mysterious monuments which existed as interesting links between us and our forefathers. We were a nation having a great past, and it was natural we should desire to see what that past had been, and it was only by investigating these matters in a scientific mode that a knowledge of that past could be obtained. We knew we were a great people now, and that our name and our language were known all over the world-perhaps more known than those of any other nation that had previously existed—but

we are what we are, because we have been made so by our forefathers, and therefore it was most natural that we should endeavour to ascertain what sort of people our forefathers were, what they did, how they lived and acted, and what were their characteristics and history; and the unwritten records in which Wiltshire so greatly abounded were to a very great extent the means by which we might arrive at that knowledge. It would be idle for anyone like himself who was not familiar with archæological matters, to attempt to talk about them, but still as an Englishman and as a Wiltshireman it was impossible not to feel an interest in them. There were in this county monuments that carried them back to the earliest races known to exist in this land, and the grand old stones which stood on the downs of Wiltshire presented a problem still to be solved. Coming down to more recent times, Mr. Bouverie spoke of some of the noble structures that adorn this county. As a proof of the great wealth and population which once distinguished Wiltshire, the speaker mentioned that there were more mills specified in Domesday Book as existing in Wiltshire than in any other county in England. That gave indirect evidence of the superior wealth and industry that characterised Wiltshire in former times. The county was not possessed of the great source of wealth of modern time, as it did not abound with coal, which attracts population and wealth; but they had memorials and proofs of the wealth and prosperity which distinguished the district in bygone centuries, and they ought to value and cherish them. Mr. Bouverie referred to the success which had marked the operations of the Society, and attributed a large share of that success to the ability and exertions of Canon Jackson who was one of the originators of the institution. One of the things which must strike thinking minds in looking back into the dim past was the amazing contrast between the manners and customs of the times in which we live and those of remote periods. It had often been said that in these days "The poor were poorer, and the rich were richer than in past times," but one part of that statement was certainly untrue. No doubt there was now a vast accumulation of wealth, but he fully believed that if we had more perfect means of comparing the position of the people now classed as poor, with that