236 Address by the President. [Sess. 



Perhaps I should also mention that one of the last of the 

 original members of this Society has passed away in the 

 person of Patrick Neill Eraser, of Eockville, Murrayfield, who 

 died on the 27th of February 1905, in his seventy-eighth 

 year. Mr Eraser was all his life a keen botanist, and a 

 frequent attender of the botanical excursions of this Society 

 in its earlier days. At the time of his death, however, Mr 

 Fraser was not a member, he having severed his connection 

 •with the Society some years ago. On July 25, 1900, the 

 members visited Eockville to see the magnificent collection 

 of British and exotic ferns brought together there, and were 

 most cordially received by Mr and Mrs Fraser. 



In the introduction of new members I would like to see a 

 little more formality observed. At present the ballot is taken, 

 and the President declares them duly elected, and there is an 

 end of the matter. Probably they are not known even by 

 sight to the majority of the members, and they may feel 

 themselves isolated units. I would like, however, that they 

 should feel on becoming members they are entering a brother- 

 hood or sisterhood in which they will find kindred hearts 

 beating in sympathy with their own. To in some degree 

 attain this object, I would venture to suggest that new mem- 

 bers on their first appearance at our meetings be introduced 

 to the chairman for the time who could welcome them, and 

 thus make them feel that not in name only but in reality 

 they are in the midst of friends. 



I now beg respectfully to tender my most sincere thanks 

 to the members generally for the kindly manner in which 

 they have overlooked any of my shortcomings in the chair or 

 at the excursions ; to the members of Council, and especially 

 to our Secretary, for the manner in which they have supported 

 me in the performance of my duties. To me the meetings 

 have been a source of great pleasure. 



And now one word in concluding : if any of you who are 

 engaged in microscopical investigations think that I can be of 

 any assistance to you, it will give me much pleasure to do 

 what I can in the way of such assistance. 



