36 

 WEDNESDAY, JUNE I 3th. 



Hnnual (Senetal fliieetino. 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 



FOR THE YEAR ENDING JUNE 13th, 1894. 



Your Council has mucli pleasure on being able to congratulate 

 the members of the Society, not only on an increase of members 

 during the past year, but also on the larger audiences which have 

 assembled at the Ordinary Meetings. 



A glance at the titles of the papers read will show what a 

 leading part the theory of Evolution has played in our discussions. 

 The President's inaugural address which opened up the wide 

 questions and difl&cult problems which it involves, seems to have 

 given the dominant tone to the scientific thought of the year. It 

 may also be remarked to what a large extent Ornithology has been 

 called upon to furnish facts and materials connected with Variation, 

 Heredity, Natural Selection, and the Origin of Species. 



The reports of the different Sections will show that the 

 work, which they had set themselves to do, is being earnestly 

 carried on. The members of the Botanical Section have obtained 

 in all 700 specimens of plants for the Sussex Herbarium. The 

 Photographic Section has been busy with the survey of Brighton 

 and neighbourhood, and a large number of prints already enriches 

 its collection. 



The most important event to be recorded, however, in the 

 annals of the Society for the past year is, undoubtedly, the Soiree 

 which was given in the Pavilion on the 2nd of March. After 

 being allowed to lapse for nine successive years it was decided to 

 revive, at any rate for this year, those pleasant reunions of the 

 members and their friends which form so conspicuous a feature 

 in the past records of our Society. 



Notwithstanding the attractive programme issued, and the 

 efforts made to render the Soiree of 1894 a greater success than 

 any of its predecessors, your Council regrets to state that only 

 70 members of the Society supported it by their presence, and that 

 the total number of those who attended did not exceed 300. There 



