1900 THE PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS 145 



Dr Smithe's health has been very serious, and has pre- 

 vented him not only from taking any share in the work of 

 this Club, but also from continuing his other duties ; and 

 so his resignation of his position as an officer and a 

 member of this Club is not unexpected. Still I am sure 

 that I express the sentiments of all our members when I 

 say that we greatly regret it. 



Dr Smithe's connection with this Club has been a long 

 one ; his name carries us back to quite early days. He 

 was elected at the Annual Meeting, February 15th, 1859 

 — he and your late President, W. C. Lucy, being elected 

 together on that day — and so he has been a member of 

 this Club for 41 years. He was elected Vice-President in 

 1887. He became a Fellow of the Geological Society in 

 1858 ; but he has not contributed any papers to its Journal. 

 In our Proceedings, however, will be found several con- 

 tributions, indicating his high attainments as a geologist 

 and petrologist. He specially devoted himself to the 

 study of the Middle and Upper Lias rocks, giving con- 

 siderable attention to their development in his own parish 

 of Churchdown. In fact, our chief knowledge of these 

 beds in this county is derived from the researches of Dr 

 Smithe, pubHshed in different papers in our Proceedings. 

 Further, when Dr Thomas Davidson was publishing his 

 important work " On Jurassic Brachiopoda," Dr Smithe 

 was able to send him a very fine series of specimens from 

 Churchdown, and to give him many details, all showing 

 how much use he had made of his opportunities for study- 

 ing the Liassic rocks. 



I do not at present give any more detailed account of 

 Dr Smithe's work. You will understand why. It is 

 sufficient to show that we appreciate his labours, and 

 greatly regret the cause of his resignation. 



I now turn to notice work accomplished by our members 

 during the year outside the Club's Proceedings. I do not 



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