132 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 



able to announce that Lord Avebury has also consented to honour the 

 Society by becoming its representative at the commemoration of the 

 centenary of Darwin's birth, and the fiftieth anniversary of the publi- 

 cation of the Origin of Species, to be held at Cambridge in June next. 



To another jubilee, that of the Museum of the University of Oxford, 

 the Society was also bidden, when Mr. F. Shilling ton Scales represented 

 it on the invitation of the Council. 



In response to an invitation of the British Science Section of the 

 Franco-British Exhibition, the Society lent a number (28) of instru- 

 ments in the form of a collection illustrating the progress and develop- 

 ment of the Microscope from the earliest times. Certain gaps were 

 kindly supplied by Sir Frank Crisp and Mr. E. M. Nelson. 



The selection, arrangement, and description of the instruments were 

 carried out under the personal direction and supervision of Mr. C. F. 

 Rousselet, to whom the thanks of the Society are in a special measure 

 due in this connection. 



The Society was awarded two Diplomas for Grand Prize for its 

 exhibit. 



Quite recently a revival of a former practice has been re-inaugurated, 

 viz. informal meetings of Fellows on certain Wednesday evenings from 

 November to June. At these Sectional Meetings, which are under the 

 direction of Mr. Cheshire, Dr. C. Price-Jones, and Mr. D. J. Scourfield, 

 there will be exhibits, short papers, and discussions, relating to (1) Brass 

 and Glass ; (2) Bacteriology and Protozoology ; and (3) Pond-life. 



On December 16, 1908, a Special Meeting was held, in response to 

 a demand by eleven Fellows, for the purpose of considering the amend- 

 ment to the By-laws in reference to the admission of female Fellows to 

 the Meetings, and to participating in the management of the Society. 

 After discussion, the following resolution was passed : — 



" That in the opinion of this Meeting the time has now arrived when 

 the question of the admission of women Fellows to the full privileges of 

 the Society must be seriously considered, and that a special committee be 

 appointed for the purpose of considering the proposals dealing with this 

 subject, and preparing a report thereon, to be submitted to a further 

 special Meeting of the Society to be called for the purpose by the 

 Council." 



The Council anticipates that the special committee will be able to 

 report in the course of a few weeks, and that the question will be settled 

 during the current session. 



The Treasurer also submitted his Statement of Accounts and duly 

 Audited Balance Sheet. 



The President, in moving that the Report of the Council and the 

 Treasurer's Balance Sheet be received and adopted, and printed and 

 circulated in the usual way, said that, though their balance in hand was. 



