cxviii Proceedings. 



ourselves, What is the cause of this small attendance ? Are the 

 Meetings held on an inconvenient day ? There is no doubt our 

 day of Meeting accounts for the absence of some whom I know 

 would hke to be present, for on our night the Eoyal Microscopic 

 and Geological Societies hold then' Meetings, but even this would 

 only account for the few. What is become of the many old and 

 new members who stay away ? If it were only the old members, 

 I would be inclined to say perhaps they grow weary of the 

 Meetings, or perhaps they have arrived at a time of life when 

 they cannot come out in the evening, but I find the absentees 

 include new members as well. Of these many may join ia order 

 to get tickets for the Annual Soiree. We may then ask ourselves, 

 What of the Nine ? and the only answer I can give is, I think we 

 ought somehow or other to coax, induce, or even try gentle 

 pressure on, our new members, to prevail on them to read short 

 paj)ers on any subject they are interested in, at our Monthly 

 Meetings ; thus we might lead them to do greater things later on ; 

 we should not expect them to give us those polished papers they 

 might think necessary for a scientific society. I consider the 

 constant practice of preparing short papers, so that we might 

 have two or three read at a Meeting, would be a preparation for 

 greater things in the near future. They must not be afraid of 

 criticism, as kindly criticism leads the author to weigh well his 

 statements before they are made, and even mistakes when 

 pointed out make a lasting impression on the mind. In doing 

 this I should be sorry to suggest the elimination of those 

 excellent papers we have had read to us from time to time by 

 outside friends. I only throw out this suggestion in order that 

 we may be able to fill up those blank evenings which recur 

 almost every session. In this way we may be enabled to do a 

 double amount of good both to him who gives and to him who 

 receives. 



Membei's elected, 1889. 



Jcmuary 9t7i. — William Edgar Backwell, 1, Tennison Eoad, South 

 Norwood. William Bullock, 20, Dingwall Eoad. Ealph Henry 

 Crowley, Bramley Oaks, Bramley HiU. William Lucas Distant, 

 F.G.S., Eussell Hill Eoad, Purley. Thomas WUUam HaU, F.E.S., 

 7, Princess Eoad, Selhurst. Charles Henry Burnaby Sparrow, 1, 

 Chepstow Eoad. Samuel Stevens, F.L.S., Loanda, Beulah Hill, 

 Upper Norwood. 



February ISth. — A. Norrington, Homeside, Purley. Alfred Ernest 

 Pinnell, Winchester Villa, Carshalton. 



March 13th, — Thomas Duncan Aldous, 37, St. Peter's Eoad. James 

 Gibb, 18, Outram Eoad. D. Everett Goddard, F.E.M.S., Wallington, 

 Surrey. Charles Mansfield, The Lindens, Coombe Eoad. George 

 Neall, 88, Lower Addiscombe Eoad. J. J. Pitman, 59, Dingwall Eoad. 

 FeUx Joseph Vergara, Java House, South Norwood. 



April 10th. — Edgar F. Blow, 110, Lower Addiscombe Eoad. WiUiam 

 Henry Maidlow, Elm Lodge, Park Hill Eise. 



