551 



FORTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



Your Committee in presenting their Report for the year ending 

 December 1914 will scarcely need to remind members that for 

 almost half the time covered by it, namely the last five months, 

 conditions have been of an altogether abnormal and unpropitious 

 character. Taking this into account, it is satisfactory to find 

 that the number of members elected has been forty-one ; this is 

 slightly above the average of the previous six years. The resig- 

 nations have been twenty-five, which is more than usual, and 

 was largely due to enlistment and other circumstances connected 

 with the war. The deaths have been nine, again somewhat more 

 than the average, removing some of our older and more noted 

 members; leaving the present membership 447. 



Dr. Arthur Mead Edwards of New Jersey, U.S.A., the oldest 

 honorary member, elected in January 1868, died in September. 

 Ln November we had to regret the loss of Dr. M. C. Cooke. He 

 has been not inappropriately called the " Father of the Club " ; 

 he was not only one of its founders, but his writings and general 

 work must have done an incalculable amount to disseminate a 

 popular interest in, and knowledge of, microscopy. Although he 

 was in his ninetieth year at the time of his death he had shortly 

 before, on the celebration of our five hundredth meeting, been 

 able to write, with his own hand, a letter expressing his pleasure 

 at the prosperity of the Club, and his wishes for its continuance. 

 An obituary notice appeared in the November number of the 

 Journal. 



Among the losses sustained owing to the war, it should be 

 recorded that Mr. Pledge, Assistant Secretary for nine years, has 

 been compelled to resign his office in consequence of having to 

 place himself at the disposal of the military authorities ; and we, 

 therefore, no longer have the advantage of his very excellent 

 reports of our meetings in the English Mechanic and elsewhere, 

 for which it has been the pleasing duty of the Committee so often 

 to express their thanks to him. The Club is to be congratulated 

 on the fact that Mr. Robotham kindly consented to fill the vacant 



