Hy peoceedixgs of the geological society. "yoI. IxxYiii, 



For assistance in preparing these notices I haYe to express my 

 obligation to Sir Jetliro J. H. Teall, Dr. A. Smith Woodward, 

 Prof. S. H. EcYnoldS; Mr. W. Campbell Smith, and many others 

 ■who haYe been good enough to f m'uish information in reply to 

 enquiries. 



After announcing the election of Officers, the retiring President 

 said: — 



Two years haYe now elapsed since you elected me to the office of 

 President ; they haYe been CYentful years in the history of the 

 Society. AVhen I assumed office your Council was faced ■^\'ith a 

 very serious state of affairs brought about by the war, expenses had 

 greatly increased, while income remained but little altered, and it 

 almost seemed that we should have to face the alternatiYe of either 

 abandoning our Library, or of suspending om* Journal. It was 

 necessary to OYcrhaul the whole of the affairs of the Society, to 

 impose certain additional charges on the Fellows and to restrict 

 some of the benefits which they had been enjoying, before that 

 equilibrium between income and expenditm'e could be established, 

 without which our continued existence as a Society would be 

 impossible. As a result, we have been able to continue the two 

 most important functions of the Society, the maintenance of a 

 working library, and the publication of research, though we haYe 

 been compelled to restrict our activities in other directions. !Much 

 has been done, yet the task is not complete ; the axe has been 

 wielded, I think sufficiently, but there is still work for the pruning 

 hook on minor economies, insignificant separately but collectively 

 appreciable. Of this your Officers are fully aware, and you may be 

 confident that the matter will be borne in mind and attended to. 

 It is not to be expected that all the action which your Council has 

 taken during the last two years should receive unanimous approval ; 

 but, taken as a whole, I rhink that we may justly be unashamed of 

 the record : it is not the work of any one man, it has only been 

 possible by the co-operation of the whole body of the Officers and 

 Council, of the Fellows at large, and of the permanent staff. I now 

 hand over the care of the interests of the Society to a successor 

 who will maintain its honom* and dignity, and in rehnquishing office 

 I wish to render my thanks to all those who during the past two 

 years have helped me in what has been an anxious and responsible, 

 but far from thankless, task. 



