The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-07 00:00:00

DORSET ANTIQUARIAN 80CIETY.

The first gathering f the members of this society of
the present session was held at Dorchester on Tuesday
last. The weather was gloriously fine, which made •
trip to Wolvetou House. the residence of Albert E.
Backe., Esq., the principal feature of the day's
proceedings. • most enj yable outing. Previous to
this, howev'r, the usual business meeting was held at
iht.dmtelope Hotel, when there Was &good attends/los
Of tombs" veal led over by the Treasurer, the Rev.
H. H. Wood. Am ing those present being Secretary
Professor Buckman. Rev. Sir Talbot Baker, Rev. W.
Barnes, Rev. H. E. Greeley, Rev. H. E. Ravenhill,
Rev. 0. P. Cambridge, Rev. T. W. Koine, Rev. S.
Thompson, Rev. Acton, Messrs. Colfox, C. Baskett
and Mrs. Bukett. A. Pope and Mrs. pop, L H.
Ruegg and tise Rneg.r T. B. Groves (Weymouth),
N,
Reynolds, Mugs, J. Londie, jun. (Weymouth), W.,
Mrs., and Miss Conniniid
The CHAIRMAN said the first business wu to call
their attention to two or three specimens that would
no doubt be of interest. First of all he exhibited *
scimen of the stone hammers belonging to the
Celtic period. It was a very interesting example of
the stone hammers, by which they struck off flint
knives, and in fact all the implements used by them.
He believed they belongs I to a very early period, so
early that he was almost led t believe that they did
not use iron a all ; but that all the implements they
used were struck off with hammers of this description.
Their good friend Mr. Cambridge had also brought •
sp.cimen from this neighbourhood—somethiag of the
same kind, but not so Luis and of • more delicate
make. He (the abairm so) had also brought some good
examples of shells, from Bradford, in order to show
bow they were working in oolites. They now
numbered 150 species of the unavalve. He then
alluded to a very important subject, viz the
ammonite specimens, and their terminations.
Their eyes were now opened to the foot that
they had very extraordinary terminations which
variously they were not made acquainted with.
He regretted that very often "manufacturers" of
fossils, If he might g call them, collectors of fragile,
those men to whim they were indebted for many
examples of fossils, when they cleaned them, always
squared off the mouths of the shells, in order to make
them look pretty. Thus the important part of the
shells, the termination, had been utterly destroyed,
and Ws was afraid that • great many good specimens
of fossils had been made useless in this way.
The Rev. ?asuman showed that thee:penises for the
previous year, including an adverse balsam of C 25101.,
amounted to £ll9 65., whereas the subscriptions only
amounted to £5l Is., and the society was acoordlnily
in debt, on that year's account, £llB Is. The wit*
of this debt would have to come out of the last
subscriptions. So, unless some Dere cx Machina came
forward with a very substantial cheque, they would
have a vary small sum with which to go through the
present year. After the very beautiful volume on
' Spiders," which was now before them, and which
had naturally entailed considerable expense, they must
not issue any additional volume for this year, as they
would have to use no srly the whole of the subscrile
ions for this year to meet their engagements.
The elacarraar said it was not the Intention of the
society In issue • volume of their proceedings this
wear, but be hoped they would make good we of their
time, so as to get the volume ready to present them
at their first annual meeting for the next year. So
far as these little defalc'tions were concerned he did
not at all fear them. Ile hoped they would get a
kn. acquisition of marebers this year. He knew
Would be a great number of members who would
4;4 anxious to assist them, and with the per-
mission of that meeting he would turn beggar if they
Shed, and Le would ask anyb idy in the next circular
If thee were inclined in any way to help the society
out ,:;( a.m. Very little would be required of them, 1
and be begged to say be should be most happy to
subscribe his guinea towards b,elping them out of the
debt (Hear, hear.) With regard to the volume
before them, it was one of which they aught to be
oiowiingly proud. They ought to take g
amount of credit to themselves for having baud alaar
le
of this character. It was not a book that everybody
could read or that everybody would desire to read, but
Ita could assure them from wh it he had heard, that
oeisatific men throughont the country were very rasp*,
obliged to their society for having issued this volumles
Now the volume was before them, they would be vary
wraag indeed if they lii not record their very best
thanks to Mr. Cambridge, for the manner in which
be bad completed it. Ile begged, then, to propose
that the society escort their hearty thanks to him for the
great trouble and pains he h id taken in enabling the
coegoty to loused that 'magnificent volume. ( kpolause3
gia was sorry to say that the good veteran scientific
man, John Blackwell, to whom the work was dedicate
had died within the last few days without haring seen
eke dedicati in. He (this secretary) was quite sure
grges what he had seen of the gentlemao himself he
would have been very proud indeed of the volume
which hoel been dedicated to him. He had died at
the good rad are of 93, and one could hardly w .nder at
that ago that his days should have been so uncert dn.
Th. motion was seconded by the TRZASIMR, who
...I, complimented Mr. Cambridge on the couple-
'... work

kOll,

AI then twriswed the work of the past
.etiags at Shwba-ne, Wimborne, and
T , Swans:. and Weymouth.
1g new ambers ware proposed :—The
4. Lang (Klogston St. Mary), Rev. J.
(Oomington), and Mr. J. Lundie, jun.

se intimated that Mr. Serpent Tindal
expr seed hiuself greatly interested in
I,,th he and his daughter were greatly
fl wa of the country, and he beli.yed
municsted with, he would become a
z. hear.)
anon supported the motion, as one who
itted with the author more than any
tber of the club—more OM than Mr.
more active members of the Jxecutive,
na hut • very inadequate flea o. the
* they owed to Mr. Of ambridte for the
at of time and attention be had devoted
He could f ally endorse what their
sy had said. The book was not only
by the natura'iste of this country,
:-.ldoing a European reputation and he
rtain. that whatever expense they might
at to in such an undertaking as this. they
on v an repaid by the great repntatldn of'
-first to ,be credit of Mr. camheldg., and
a tlue club. (Applause.)
Mr CLICISIDSZ thanked the meeting for
igenions. He assured them it had been •
s to him to be able to undertake the

.1-s.