The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-05-26 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH
_FIELD
_CLUB._ ENO NATURAL

filifoir SOCIETY.

The inaugural meeting of the Field Club and
Natural History Society, recently organised in eon.
necti..n with the Weymouth ToWit 144,ciety. was held
at. the Art Gallery, St. Th.om.vstreet, on Toonelay
evening. and numerously attended. The company
incluowd— it.. and Mrs. Z. Nlilloslge, Mrs.
Dickerel, is.. Hooper, the Nilson, Firth, Mr. T.
Clarke, Mr. Danson, Colonel Bead and family Dr.
and Mr.. Griffin, Mr. 'l'. Groves, Mr. Moyle, Mrs.
an I Miss Stedman, r. Synino, Dr. Niclaonald, Mr,
and Mrs. Barrett, Mr. and Mrs. G. Eliot, Sir Talbot
Baker, Mr. and Mrs. Five Mi.... Day, Miss
Payne, Mi... Danowy, the Nlisses Marriott, Mr., Mrs.,
and the Misses Anderson, Mr. and Mrs. Pye, Mr.
Camitheno, the Rev. and Mrs. Harrison, Ma,... Hop-
kins, Mr. and Mn.. Dodge, s r. H. Yeller,. Mr,., Noes.,
anol the Nlisowe Sylvester, Dr. Moorhead, Mr. ph.ne,Y,
In. Childs, Mrs., and x,iss Baker, Nir,
Symonds, Mr. Heller. Mr. W. S. Cole, Mr. and Mn,.
Hallett, the Rev. 0. I'. and Master Cambridge,
Mi. Bone, time Rev. Shaw. &c.
Ti.. chair was taken loy.thlennan ELtot. In intn.-
&icing the Rev. 0. I'. Canibriobre, who had been
announced to read a paper entitled Organising and
working of field societies." to the meeting, he o•x•
plained that he was a prominent member .4 the
Door.. Field Club. The Weymouth Field Club was
fleet anxious that their humble in tloe
way .4 research should in no way clash sr rival the
older and larger cunt)' club. They were so &Unions
to avoid anything .4 the kind that they communicated
with the president of the Ironiet County Club, asking
whether then. would lie a muspici.on of jealousy, or
anything... 4 the kind, it such a society Were Oarted
Tbe answer received was that he Windt! he
fo.r risk an effort to he made in \Vermouth,
and that the more. local clubs .4 the kind were
started in the country the no:n. ',leaved he would be.
(Hear, hear.) .kgain, referring to Mr, CAnobrioigc.,
Mr. Eliot said he was a gentleman of good repute as
• naturalist, and that he had published some fine
works upon that subject, so it was a matter of con-
gratulation they had obtained his services that even-
"l'he Rev. 0. P. Csnaninen, in the course of his
paper, gave some admirable and useful
He said for • society of the kind the Weymouth
locality was exceedingly rich; indeed, a richer one
wan not to be found in England, especially at
Portland, respecting which place he could speak
after many years' experience of botany, conchoology,
and other marine productions. He urged upon
field students the necessity 'f working
,1 localities exhaustively, and warned them against the
' evils .4 inesact observation, and of the necessity for
dispelling the foregone conclusion... The rade strewn
for the student must be " obaerve correctly and
record exactly." Subsequently •he said that Wey•
mouth was one .of the fittest stations for researches
in connection with marine food supply. ',He hooped the
members of the society would du what they could too
promote that fissitizg.:;alause.)
Mr. A. N. Diann ex ned the excursions, &c.,
which had been for the ensuing season, stat-
ing that the first one would be to Bindon Abbey, and
that Mr. Motile, .4 Dorchester, had kindly consented
to act as cicenme on that occasion.
Dr. Cultist asked the Company to unite with bin,
in thanking Mr. and Mrs. Baker for the arrangements
they had kindly made for the gathering that ei ening.
lie also said they might be proud of the number oof
naturalists they had in their midst. Thesuceess of the
society would depend linen the way in which the
different departments were carried on. The various
sections with then respective director* had been
arranged as follows, although directors, it would be
seen, were needed for some .4 the sections :
Arboricultun., horticulture, &c., Mi. Saloon,
l7l.way ; arclueology, Nlr. T. B. (ln•ses ; botany,
Mow l'ayne, Mr. llowles 'Jarrett and Mr. Itisney ;
OiliChology, entomology, geology, meteorology,
micnoseopy, ernittoology, and photography, directors
not yet almrointed; ploClCUltlitv, Fir. Childs; sea fl.oraand
fauna, Mr. A. N. Disney and Mr. W. Ij. Cole, They
were anxious to rice all chimes Psiu in the `tort', atel
working town would be welcomed amongst them. He
expressed his lest thanks to Mr. Cambridge and
I other* who had no warmly Welcorned the liplining of
11..' society. (Hear, hear.)
Mr, T. 11. Groves was of opinion that the local field
club, instead .4 rivaling, Might waist the larger
association by 'rising attention to more minute facts,
which were not in themselves o.f sufficient important,
for larger aesociations. ip rvapeet to pisciculture. they
might probably do a useful stork in dm Backwater,
where, no doubt, there %Vila& perfect Mint of wealth on
fish W-tout tteLpl.* she present umk
abused in esery way. They might to urge upon the
local authorities the necessity for preserving the fish.
( A pj.lause.
Sir Tsuerr Malta made a few remarks, and wished
the new society e.ery success.
Ifin'Llt reiterated the sentiments, and heartily
thanked Mr. Cambridge for his paper.
In the ("Oral .4 Ile seeping tea and coffee were
set, ed. Ti,.' conilany Wa• also entertained toy
exhibitions of view*, small aquaria, lososits, rtuffed
birds (the choicer kinds obtained in the lotabik),
inienwcoprn, &c.