1 903-1 904.] Annual Business Meeting. 155 



lovers of the beautiful — including naturalists — should join 

 in petitioning Parliament to prohibit the erection of such 

 eyesores. 



In closing, I am led to refer to one more form of protec- 

 tion. Patient observers tell us that wild birds of the genus 

 Anser are protected in their long flights against missing their 

 goal, through the possible failure of vision or alertness on the 

 part of their leader, by changing him several times during 

 their journey. This wise instinct has its counterpart in, and 

 affords protection to, our Society, where the leader, or Pre- 

 sident, is changed from time to time — to his relief and to the 

 great advantage of the membership. My time for retirement 

 from leadership — from the Presidentship — and return to the 

 back benches is now fully come. By your courtesy I have 

 been permitted to serve a term of nine years' easy labour — 

 three years as a member of Council, three as a Vice-President, 

 and three as President. In now vacating the chair I desire 

 to thank you all for having made the discharge of my duties 

 so pleasant and so agreeable to me. I can hardly recall a 

 discordant note in our Council or in our sessional or field 

 meetings. To you, and especially to our excellent secretary 

 Mr Williamson, I owe my good fortune in being able to leave 

 this chair with the Society in a happy and prosperous condi- 

 tion. My last word is — May it long continue so to prosper ! 



ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING. 



The annual business meeting of the Society was held in the 

 Hall, 20 G-eorge Street, on the evening of Wednesday, October 

 26th, 1904 — the retiring president (Mr Archibald Hewat, 

 F.F.A.) in the chair. A paper entitled " Remarks on Gloeocapsa" 

 was read by Mr G. T. West (see ante, pp. 130-133); and a 

 "List of alien plants gathered during 1903 and 1904 in the 

 neighbourhood of Edinburgh by members of the Society " was 

 submitted by Mr James Eraser and Mr James M' Andrew (see 



