7 
ARTS AND CRAFTS SECTION. 
1915. 
Feb. 10th—‘ Francis Nicholson, 1753-1844,” (one of the Founders of the Old 
Water Colour Society, 1804). His Life and Work.—Mr. ALFRED 
AYRTON. 
In conjunction with the above Lecture, there was an 
Exhibition in the Art Gallery of about 200 of the late Artist’s 
Water Colour Sketches, some being of Chester and the neigh- 
bourhood, together with some lithographs and a few oil 
paintings, including two portraits of him executed by himself. 
This Exhibition was kept open for several subsequent weeks. 
* Fully illustrated with Lantern Slides, &e. 
The Lecture delivered by the Rev. Canon Alexander Nairne, 
D.D., on ‘‘ Charles Kingsley’s Poems,’’ has aroused a new 
interest in this phase of our founder’s work, and your Committee 
have pleasure in announcing that through the kindness of Canon 
Nairne and the generosity of one of our Vice-Presidents, Mr. 
Thomas Shepheard, of Bournemouth, this Lecture is being 
printed in book form, and will be distributed amongst the 
members free of cost along with the Annual Report. 
By the Junior Members of the Society and also by Students 
in various parts of the Society’s district keen interest still con- 
tinues to be taken in the Society’s Nature Study Competitions, 
and although there was a slight decrease in the number of Com- 
 petitors last year, the quality of the work sent in was of a higher 
. ‘standard than that of any previous year. 
This Report would be incomplete without reference being 
made to the death of the late Dr. W. M. Dobie, F.R.A.S., who 
was a Member of the Society almost from its inception, and who 
_ for a long series of years took a keen interest in all branches of 
the Society’s works. Dr. W. M. Dobie was Kingsley Memorial 
-Medallist in 1894 ; President in 1893-95, and at the time of his 
death he was a Vice-President, in addition to being Chairman 
of the Astronomical Section. 
_ A further call has been made upon the services of our present 
President, Professor Robert Newstead, F.R.S., who in April was 
Tequested by the War Office to proceed to France in the capacity 
of “Specialist in Entomology to the British Expeditionary 
Force.”’ Professor Newstead’s many friends feel proud that this 
Will be crowned with. success and a safe return granted to him. 
