Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club.

MAY 30TH, 1890.

JOINT MEETING WITH THE CARADOC CLUB.

ON Friday, May 30th, the first Field Meeting of the Club was held at Craven Arms, in union with the Caradoc Field Club, who, under the Presidency of the Rev. J. D. La Touche, were met at Craven Arms Railway Station. The interval between the arrival of the trains from Hereford and Shrewsbury was occupied in the transaction of some business of the Club, which included the election of nine new members and the proposal of seven others. Some further delay was occasioned by picking up reinforcements from various quarters, a delay which was the cause of sundry contretemps throughout the day, of a character however generally humorous rather than serious. Eventually the whole party, mustering about seventy in number, marshalled by their respective Honorary Secretaries, having taken their seats in seven carriages, drove to Clungunford House, distant about four miles, where they were received by Mrs. Rocke and her son, Mr. J. C. L. Rocke, who, without delay, proceeded to exhibit their magnificent collection of British birds, the result of some forty or fifty years' assiduous work by the late Mr. Rocke. The members, amongst whom were a few excellent ornithologists, were astonished at the display of almost every specimen of bird which has ever been acknowledged as having visited Britain, including, amongst many varieties, a fine specimen of the Great Auk, and embracing, in the collection of eggs, one of this now extinct bird. Mrs. Rocke, staff in hand, conducted the members over the Museum, case by case, pointing out especially the most rare birds, with a history of their capture or locality whence obtained, a reference to the manuscript list supplying further information.

Whilst the attention of the members was riveted upon Mrs. Rocke's descriptive details, they were interrupted by the unwelcome sound of the whistle, Mr. La Touche taking advantage of the opportunity to propose a vote of thanks, which was seconded by Mr. George H. Piper, who expressed the universal regret of the members that Mrs. Rocke's hospitable intentions must be so abruptly cut short.

Leaving to the ornithologists the task of drawing up a report of this, perhaps, matchless private collection, unequalled not only in point of varieties, but also as regards the magnificent specimens themselves, and the faultless life-like manner in which they, without exception, are set up, we must record our gratitude to Mrs. Rocke and her son for their very kind reception of the Club, for the entertainment for body as well as the ornithological treat, and for the valued