470 



compiled by Mr. Cattyn. During the year 130 slides have 

 been added to the Cabinet, of which seventy were presented, and 

 a friend of the Curator and former member has promised a 

 type collection of Hydrozoa. The Club now possesses 7,500 

 good preparations. 



An interesting donation from Mr. Hugh Paterson, of Sydney, 

 N.S.W., is a microscope which formerly belonged to Prof. 

 Quekett and was given to the donor's father. 



The thanks of the Club are due to the Curator for his great 

 services, and to Mr. Bestow for his able assistance. 



The Club excursions were nearly all favoured by extremely 

 line weather, but the absence of rain during the summer 

 diminished greatly the amount of water, and many of the ponds 

 towards the end of the season were completely dried up. There 

 were ten excursions, the attendance averaging 16'7 members. 

 As usual the visit to the Botanic Gardens, Regent's Park, showed 

 the highest number, namely, thirty, and that to Higham's Park 

 twenty-four. Owing to the ever-increasing difficulty of finding fresh 

 places available for a visit during the short period of a Saturday 

 afternoon, it is scarcely to be expected that new records will 

 often be made. Paludicella Ehrenhergi, a freshwater type 

 resembling in several points of structure the marine Polyzoa, was 

 taken at Higham's Park ; and Conhjlophora lacastris, a fresh- 

 water representative of the Hydrozoa so common on the sea- 

 shore, was obtained at the Surrey Commercial Docks. Botry- 

 dium granidatum was very abundant round a nearly dry pond 

 at Hadlev. The Committee desires to thank the authorities of 

 the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Surrey Commercial Docks and 

 the East London Waterworks for the facilities which they 

 continue to aftbrd to the members of the Club. 



The accident which our former Hon. Librarian, Mr. Alpheus- 

 Smith, met with while on his way to the Club in April last was 

 seen to be so serious in its effects that your Committee appointed 

 an Assistant Librarian. As Mr. Smith was rendered physically 

 incapable of continuing his duties, his resignation was accepted, 

 with great regret. Such service as Mr. Smith has rendered to 

 the Club as its Honorary Librarian is unique in the annals 

 of scientific societies, and the most sincere thanks of the Club 

 are due to him for his great services. 



In June the Committee appointed ]\Ir. S. C. Akehurst as. 



