20 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



!From the Treasurer's Statement you will have gathered that 

 the financial position of the Society is rather more favourable than 

 it was a year ago, though the income has been none too large for 

 what the Society has had to do, and is not nearly large enough for 

 what it might do. I ventured, in my last anniversary address, 

 to make the suggestion that the Fellows could assist the Society by 

 foregoing the right to receive either the botanical or the zoological 

 ])ublications, and a note to this effect was circulated. The 

 favourable replies were not so numerous as had been expected ; 

 but still they suffice to warrant a reduction in the number of 

 copies of our publications to be printed off, whereby a small but 

 welcome economy is made possible. 



In the course of the session, a memorial in favour of the 

 admission of women to the Fellowship of the Society has been 

 presented to your Council ; and in view of the relatively large 

 number of Fellows who signed it, it received immediate and serious 

 attention. It was found necessary to obtain legal assistance to 

 determine whether or not the powers conferred by our Charter 

 would enable us to comply with the prayer of the memorial. The 

 opinion of the eminent Counsel consulted is that it is not competent 

 for the Society to take such action ; an opinion agreeing with that 

 which, as I understand, has been given in the case of other learned 

 Societies similarly situated. It is therefore an essential preliminary 

 to the admission of women that we should obtain a new Charter. 

 The Council accordingly issued a circular to the Fellows with the 

 object of ascertaining whether or not it is their wish that the 

 necessary steps should be taken. So far this important matter 

 has been treated with singular apathy : 740 circulars were issued, 

 but only about 377 replies have been received, of which 258 are 

 in favour of and 119 are against the proposal. It is to be regretted 

 that the Council should not have received a more decisive man- 

 date as to the course to be adopted. Possibly it has been felt that 

 so fundamental a change in the constitution of the Society required 

 careful and prolonged consideration ; but it is to be hoped that 

 those Fellows who have not yet recorded their views will do so 

 as speedily as possible. For the present the question remains 

 open. 



During the present session we have tried the experiment, 

 announced last year, of ear-marking certain meetings as especially 

 botanical or zoological. Many of you have, no doubt, formed 

 your own opinion as to its success or otherwise. For my own 

 part, I must confess to a certain measure of disappointment. 

 Whilst we have had some exceptionally good special meetings, 

 1 fear that this advantage has not been all clear gain, but has to 

 some extent been obtained at the expense of the ordinary meetings. 

 It is, however, thought worth while that the experiment should be 

 continued in some form for another year. 



The scientific results of the Society's activity during the session 

 ai"e, I venture to think, quite up to the usual high level in point 

 of interest and importance. If I must find something to dis- 



I 



