99 



FIFTIETH ANNUAL REPORT. 



Your Committee in making their Eeport for the year ending 

 December 1915 may be allowed to remind members of the many 

 difficulties and drawbacks that have been encountered owing to 

 the continuance of the war. Taking these into consideration, 

 they feel justified in congratulating the Club on the results which 

 have been achieved. Twenty-three new members have been 

 elected, sixteen have resigned, and five have been lost through 

 death, giving a net increase of two, and a total membership of 

 449. The number elected and the total increase are considerably 

 below those of recent years, but nothing else could be anticipated 

 in the circumstances. 



Having regard to the darkness of the streets, the lessened means 

 of conveyance, and the quite reasonable reluctance of many to be 

 absent from home after dark, owing to the possibility of air raids, 

 and also to the fact that a considerable number. of members are 

 at the front, or engaged on Government work, it might have 

 been expected that the attendance at the meetings would be 

 seriously affected ; and it is most encouraging to find, on com- 

 paring the numbers present during the past year with those of 

 1913, that the reduction in numbers attending the Ordinary 

 Meetings has amounted to an average of eight only ; and the 

 attendance on the Gossip nights has been an average of only six 

 less than in 1913. 



The Club has to deplore the death of Past-President Prof. 

 E. A. Minchin. His last lecture was given in January, and was 

 accompanied by a gift of mounted specimens. He was present 

 at the Annual Meeting in February, and took the chair while 

 Prof. Dendy delivered his Presidential Address ; this was his last 

 evening with us. An obituary notice and portrait appeared in 

 the Journal for November. 



In February the death of Mr. F. W. Millett took place. He was 

 one of the original members, having joined in July 1865. Owing 



