REPOKT OF THE COUNCIL. 



xi 



Retiring" Members Of the Council.— Sir Trevor Lawrence, Bart., 

 K.C.V.O., V.M.H., Mr. George Bunyard, V.M.H., and Mr. A. H. Pearson 

 retire from Office. The first two have allowed themselves to be re- 

 nominated. It is with great regret to the Council that Mr. A. H. 

 Pearson, who has occupied a seat at the Council Table for 10 years, finds 

 himself unable to continue in office any longer. He has, during those 

 years, done excellent work for the Society, and deserves the warmest 

 thanks of the Fellows. 



Victoria Medal Of Honour. — During the past year two vacancies 

 in the roll of the Victoria Medal of Honour have occurred (through the 

 loss of Mr. E. Martin Smith and Mr. George Nicholson), and Sir 

 Jeremiah Colman, Bart., and Mr. Chas. Ross have been appointed by the 

 Council to this distinction. 



New Certificate. — Of late years the want has been increasingly felt 

 of some way of recognizing skilful scientific work amongst plants. Even 

 if such work does not immediately result in any great Horticultural 

 advance, it may either disclose the steps by which existing results have 

 been attained, or it may lay the foundation and prepare the way for future 

 development; and is, in either case, deserving of the Society's recogni- 

 tion. To meet this want the Council have created a New Certificate, to 

 be called " The Certificate of Appreciation." 



Annual Progress. — The following table will show the Society's 

 progress in regard to numerical strength during the past year : — 



Loss by Death in 1908. 







£ 



s. 



d. 



Life Fellows . 



13 . 



. 0 



0 



0 



4 Guineas 



2 . 



. 8 



8 



0 



2 



40 . 



. 84 



0 



0 



1 . 



75 . 



. 78 



15 



0 





130 



£171 



3 



0 



LOSS BY RESIGNATION 



&c. 











£ 



s. 



d. 



4 Guineas 



1 . 



. 4 



4 



0 



2 . . 



107 . 



. 224 



14 



0 



1 • 



489 . 



. 513 



9 



0 



Associates 



22 . 



. 11 



11 



0 



Affiliated Societies 



27 . 



. 28 



7 



0 





646 



£782 



5 



0 



Total Loss 



776 



£953 



8 



0 



Fellows elected in 1908. 

 5 



£ s. d. 



. 0 0 0 



. 25 4 



1,262 2 



Hon. Members 

 4 Guineas . . 6 

 2 . 601 



1 . 589 



Associates . . 42 

 Affiliated Societies 32 

 Commutations 8 

 = £197 8s. Od. _ 



1,283 £1,961 8 0 

 Deduct Loss . . 953 8 0 

 Net Increase in Income £1,008 0 0 



0 

 0 



618 9 0 

 22 1 0 

 33 12 0 



New Fellows, &c. 



Deaths and Resignations . 



Numerical Increase 



Total on December 31, 1907 



Total on December 31, 1908 



1,283 

 776 



507 

 10,000 



10^507 



The Council are pleased to record that the total number of Fellows, 

 Honorary or Corresponding Members, Associates and Affiliated Societies 

 is now 10,507, which is believed to be the highest number belonging to 

 any British Eoyal Society. 



Letting 1 Of the Hall. — The Annual Eevenue and Expenditure 

 Account indicates the continued success of the Hall as a financial asset. 

 No fewer than 52 engagements (excluding the Society's own Shows), 

 covering a total of 160 days, have been accommodated, and the amount 



