ANNUAL REPORT. 3O5 



Both the President and Prof. Meldola, in proposing a hearty vote of 

 thanks to the lecturer, congratulated him on the valuable resultsof his patient 

 labours. Prof. Meldola made some extended remarks on the study of the life- 

 histories of insects, which is a field so little explored, but one capable of 

 affording most noteworthy advances in natural history. He also alluded to 

 the curious phvsical conditions under which aquatic insects lived, such as the 

 assistance to or control over their movements given by the surface-film and to 

 the tremendous internecine warfares in which the insect inhabitants of every 

 pond engaged He looked upon Mr. Knock's lecture as a really remarkable 

 contribution of Entomological Science. 



In returning thanks, Mr. Knock gave some hints on methods of working 

 in such observations, and made some amusing remarks illustrative of the 

 long-continued patience often required to achieve such results as those 

 describeel in his lecture. 



ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR THE 

 YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31st. 1899. 



[heiTil and adopted at the -0th Annual Meetiiii;, postponcii {on March 31st) to Xoveniher 2Jth, 



WOO.] 



The report which the Council has the honour to present to the members 

 may be put into a tew paragraphs, as apart from business connected with the 

 Essex Museum of Natural History, the work during 1S99 was of a routine 

 character. 



Finance — The accounts for the year 1S99, which are at length laid 

 before you, were audited in May by Messrs. J. D. Cooper and W. Crouch, 

 to whom the Council is much indebted for their services. On comparing 

 these accounts with those for 1898 it will be seen ttiat the debit balance 

 shown on the General Account has been reduced from £4^ 8s. to ^^26 9s. id. 

 Postage was reduced from ;^i8 os. jd. to £1^ os. 3d. It will also be observed 

 that, in accordance with the agreement with the Corporation of West Ham, 

 a sum of ;^50 (for the year 1899) was transferred to the Museum Maintenance 

 Account. It will further be noted that, owing to the satisfactory sales of 

 publications, the long-standing deficiency on that account has been reduced 

 from £2^ to £18 — in round numbers. The other accounts call for no especial 

 mention until the summary is reached, when it will be seen that the Life 

 Composition Fund was, on December 31st, represented by £57 4s. 8d. in 

 cash, as against _,t^28 13s. 2d. in 1898 ; and that the total deficiency on all 

 accounts had been reduced by a sum of ;^23 4s. 2d., leaving it at just over /50, 

 an amount which, if the present policy of the Council is adhered to, will soon 

 be eliminated from the accounts. 



Membership — During the past year 1899 the Club has lost one member 

 by death, thirteen by resignation, and two by removal ; and it has elected 

 twenty-three new members, leaving a nett gain of seven members This 

 brings the total membership, inclusive of Honorary Members and Life- 

 Compounders, up to 296. 



