April 1902.] BOTANICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH 205 



At this juncture Mr. Cameron, the University Janitor, 

 placed at the disposal of the Senatus a room forming part 

 of his house, sufficiently large to hold the Herbarium 

 presses, and to allow of the work of distribution of 

 specimens, etc., being carried on. 



The difficulties which had to be surmounted in this 

 matter, and which I need not detail, left so little time 

 for altering the rooms before the commencement of my 

 lectures, that it was necessary to take prompt action in 

 regard to the Botanical Society's effects. After consultation, 

 therefore, with Professor Balfour, it was agreed to accept 

 Mr. Cameron's ofier, and under sanction of the House 

 Committee of the University, the Society's presses have all 

 been safely moved, and the room, as you know, is now 

 available for the purposes of the Society. 



I have to apologise for not having formally brought this 

 before the Society previous to removing the presses, but 

 there was no time to be lost, and I trust to the Society 

 granting me a bill of indemnity for thus acting, on the 

 consideration that it is better that it should be accom- 

 modated within than without the University. 



The benches, etc., belonging to the Society which were 

 in the other room, and not in actual use, are all put aside 

 in a secure place. 



Let me remind the Society that they have not a 

 permanent right to rooms in the University ; that on 

 receiving six months' previous notice the Society must 

 remove from the University at any May term that the 

 Senatus may desire,^ and it was only the fact of my 

 not being inducted in time enough, to give this notice, 

 that the Society had not to remove at the ensuing 

 Whitsunday. 



It is more than probable that notice will be given in 

 time to make the removal necessary next year. 



As this would throw the expense of finding accommoda- 

 tion on the Society, I venture to suggest that we ought 



1 This action of Professor Douglas Maclagau caused a good deal of 

 strong feeling among the members of the Society, who felt aggrieved. 

 It appears that Protessor Douglas Maclagan made a mistake, and did 

 himself a great injustice in acting as he did, but he was so popular that 

 the event was soon forgotten. The Senatus of the University should 

 have given the Society six mouths' notice, which they did not do. 



