488 Meport of Meetings. By the President. 



Mr Leather of Middleton Hall, Miss Eussell of Ashiesteel, and 

 Dr Anderson of Shaws, for contributing plates free of expense 

 to the last number of the Proceedings ; to Mr Douglas, publisher, 

 Edinburgh, who permitted the reproduction of a plate of an 

 inscribed stone ; to the Scottish Society of Antiquaries for 

 allowing the Club to have replicas of three of their cuts ; to Mr 

 J. T. Dixon of Eothbury for pen and ink sketches for two plates, 

 and to Mr John Turnbull of Abbey St Bathans, Miss Dickinson 

 and Miss Sarah Dand for drawings. 



The President then proceeded to call attention to the state of 

 the Club, with special reference to some suggestions, copies of 

 which had been sent out to every member with the last circulars. 

 He congratulated the Club upon its success and prosperous con- 

 dition ; for the small but devoted band, eleven in number, who 

 constituted the Club in 1831, when it was founded by Dr John- 

 ston, of whom the Eev. Thomas Brown (whom he was very glad 

 to see present, and to welcome at the meeting that diiy) was the 

 only survivor — was now represented by upwards of 400 members 

 in direct dynastic line. That must be considered gratifying, as 

 far as it showed the popularity of the Club, and the readiness 

 which it had displayed in welcoming with open arms those who 

 had any interest in the object for which it was established, or 

 those even, whose taste for such objects was likely to be awak- 

 ened or developed. Most Societies, however, were limited in 

 numbers, and it seemed to him wise that a regulation of that 

 sort should exist. 



It had for some time been apparent that the Club, steadily in- 

 creasing as it was in numbers, (the average yearly increase for 

 the last ten years, including those that day elected, being 

 27A)> was assuming unmanageable — or at least inconvenient — 

 proportions, having regard to the organisation and conduct of 

 the expeditions ; to the convenience and comfort of members 

 taking part in them; to the demands upon the generosity 

 of those who so often and so hospitably entertained them ; and 

 lastly, to the danger, which should not be overlooked, that their 

 excursions seemed to be assuming too much the character of 

 mere pleasure excursions. 



Again, owing to the want of a sufficiently definite and formal 

 plan, a good deal of hurry, uncertainty, and confusion, often 

 occurred when names of candidates for membership were 

 aniioimced ; as it was, a discussion being too much a matter of 



