400 FIFTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 



through his serious illness, and are glad to hear at present of some 

 slight improvement in his health. Mr. S. C. Akehurst, who has 

 been Hon. Librarian since 1912, found it necessary in June to 

 resign, owing to his acceptance of an official position in the special 

 constabulary. Mr. Todd, till then Assistant Librarian, consented 

 to take up the responsibilities, and Mr. A. E. Bull was appointed 

 assistant. It was hoped that it would be found possible to supply 

 books from the Library to members living in the country in an 

 efficient way, but almost immediately afterwards Mr. Bull was 

 requisitioned by the military, and had to leave at very short 

 notice. Mr. Alfred George then kindly offered to undertake to 

 carry on the work of Librarian, at least till the end of the 

 year, with Mr. Todd as second. Mr. C. J. Sidwell, who has 

 performed the very exacting duties of Curator most efficiently 

 and unselfishly for many years, found that owing to the unsatis- 

 factory state of his health he was unable to go on with the extra 

 work attending the preparation and issue of a new catalogue of 

 the large number of micro-slides in the Cabinet. It was decided 

 that Mr. Sidwell should be commissioned to obtain any help he 

 found necessary, and that the Club should be responsible for 

 expenses incurred thereby. Mr. Sidwell assented to this arrange- 

 ment and kindly withdrew his resignation. The almost complete 

 absence of exhibits of new apparatus by the various opticians 

 will be noticed, caused, as in the two previous years, by the fact 

 that their output and energies are entirely taken up with Govern- 

 ment work. 



It was noticed when the new session began in October that all 

 through the season the Fourth Tuesday in each month — the night 

 of the Ordinary meetings — coincided with the full moon, or within 

 a very few days of it ; and as it was believed that air raids were 

 more likely to take place at these times, the Committee decided 

 to change the date of the ordinary meetings to the second Tuesday, 

 putting the Gossip night on the fourth instead. 



A number of the members of the Club have throughout the 

 year — as in the previous year — exhibited microscopic specimens 

 to very numerous audiences of soldiers at the hospitals and 

 Y.M.C.A. huts ; these efforts for their entertainment have always 

 been highly appreciated. 



The principal communications at the meetings during the year 

 are as follows : 



