46 phoceedings or the 



admission of women, was presented to the Council early in 1902^ 

 and a circular inviting the oi)inions of tlie Fellows was issued in 

 March oi" that year ; the return of the papers in response to this 

 enquiry showed a lar^e majority in favour of applying for powers 

 to admit women (301 in favour, 12(5 against, with 313 absten- 

 tions). The meeting of the loth .January, 1903, was made 

 special, and the motion to proceed for enlarged powers was 

 carried by a large majority. Upon this the Treasurer, the present 

 Sir Frank Crisp, nndertook to procure an additional Charter, 

 granting wider powers in certain other directions as well, which 

 w as done at the sole cost of the Ti'easurer. The new Charter was 

 granted in April 1904, and the Bye-laws were amended in accor- 

 dance with it ; the first election of women as Fellow s took place 

 on the 15th December, 1904, and their formal admission on the 

 19th January, 1905. In this first election Mrs. Furquharson did 

 not succeed at the ballot, but subsequently, on the 5th March, 

 1908, she was elected Fellow, and the effort of many years 

 crowned with success. 



By this time Mrs. Farquharson was suffering from heart 

 trouble, and the probable bad effect of excitement on a weakened 

 organ, prevented her con)ing forward for formal admission. She 

 died, as stated above, at Nice, and was buried by the side of her 

 husband, at Alford, in the county of Aberdeen. [B. D. J.] 



Alfred Fkyer (1826-1912). — To those to whom he was known 

 the death of Alfred Fryer came as a shock, for notwithstanding 

 his age, he was very active up to the last. 



Born of an old Cambridgeshire family of the fenland, he was a 

 typical type of the fenman. He often said " Ah ! I knew him 

 by the scowl of his broA\-," meaning he could identify a fenman 

 anywhere. 



He was a good letter- writer ; froni the time I first knew him 

 till his death, his letters make 1480 pages, mostly referring to the 

 genus Potamogeton ; for which he was undoubtedly our best 

 authority on the British species. He had a wonderful memory 

 for the various forms all around Cliatteris ; at every dyke or ditch 

 he took one to, he could point out each plant ; these he had 

 studied for years, both at home and in nature. 



His ' Monograph of the British Potamogetons,' unfortunately 

 unfinished at his death, with the plates by Eobert Morgan, will 

 ever remain as a monument to his memory. The nine quarto 

 published parts appeared from 1898 to 1900. 



He had an enormous collection of dried specimens of the genus, 

 and was very liberal witli them ; he w-as also very well read in 

 ornithology, entomology, and conchology. 



It was very pleasant to see the estimation he was held in all. 

 around Chatteris; he never confined himself to roads or footpaths, 

 but went where inclination led him, and everywhere he was 

 received as though he was on his own ground. 



