5 
It  was  with  deep  regret  that  we  received  from  Mr. 
Bennett,  early  in  the  year,  an  intimation  that  in  consequence 
of  illness  he  was  compelled  to  resign  the  post  of  General 
Referee  which  he  had  held  since  the  commencement  of 
the  Club  in  1884.  We  cannot  look  back  upon  the  years  of 
our  minority — now  just  completed — without  realising  how 
impossible  it  is  to  appraise  too  highly  the  services  which 
Mr.  Bennett  has  rendered  by  so  generously  placing  his  time 
and  his  unrivalled  knowledge  of  the  British  Flora  at  our 
disposal.  The  share  of  the  work  he  retains,  though  more 
limited,  shows  the  keen  interest  he  still  takes  in  all  that 
concerns  the  Club. 
Our  gratitude  is  due  to  Mr.  H.  S.  Thompson  for  his 
services  as  Hon.  Sec.  The  success  of  the  Club  during  the 
past  five  years  was  owing  in  a  large  measure  to  his  untiring 
energy  and  interest  in  the  work  and  it  is  unfortunate  that, 
through  the  pressure  of  other  duties,  he  has  felt  it  necessary 
to  resign. 
To  Mrs.  Cotton  we  are  indebted  for  kindly  presenting 
some  of  the  Reports — especially  those  for  the  earlier  years. 
A  complete  set  has  now  been  formed  and  bound  into  a 
volume,  which  can  be  lent,  for  a  limited  time,  to  those 
members  who  wish  to  look  up  the  records  of  plants  that 
have  been  sent  to  the  Club. 
The  Hon.  Treasurer  suggests  that  members  might, 
without  being  applied  to,  kindly  send  in  during  January 
their  subscriptions,  which  fall  due  at  the  beginning  of  each 
year,  as  this  would  lighten  the  labours  of  the  office,  and  be 
to  the  advantage  of  the  Club. 
We  are  very  sorry  to  announce  the  death  of  Mr.  D. 
Nicolson,  of  Wick,  who  had  been  a  member  of  the  Club 
since  1887. 
GEORGE  GOODE, 
Hon .  Secretary. 
