PROCEEDINGS 
OF THE 
rtfstol UaturalistfT $JM[ieiff. 
MAY, 1866. 
ANNUAL MEETI NG. 
Thursday, May 3.— Mr. W. Sanders, F.R.S., F.G.S., President, 
in the chair. 
The President, in opening the business of the meeting, remarked 
that the number present was almost as small as at the annual meetings of 
the Institution. It was generally the case in an old established society, if 
there were no circumstances of interest to draw members together, they 
assumed that everything was going on smoothly, and that the business 
would go on just as well without them as with them, and they would know 
the proceedings after the meeting was over. He had always found at the 
Institution meetings, that unless there were some question of importance 
to be decided, or some heavy complaint to be made against the committee, 
very few attended ; all seemed satisfied — so far satisfied as to stay away, 
and leave the business to be done by those who were kind enough to 
attend. 
The Hon. Secretary then read the minutes of the last annual meet- 
ing, and also of the general meeting held in April. He announced that 
the following gentlemen had been duly elected ordinary members : — W. 
H. Budgett, Gundry Stephens, Charles Wheeler, jun., Edwin Wheeler, 
Henry House, and J. Hutchins. He then read the report of the Council, 
for which see page 36. 
Mr. W. W. Stoddart, Hon. Treasurer, read the audited accounts, for 
which see page 44, after which he expressed his regret that their balance 
was getting less. The arrears of subscriptions amounted to 15s. 
The balance in hand would not carry the Society through till next January, 
and it would be a great pity if the bills were not paid until the subscrip- 
tions came in, because that would entrench on next year's funds. Of 
course the expenses had been slightly increased, and he thought their sub- 
scriptions ought to be slightly increased also. A trifle would do. They 
already paid 5s., and each member cost that, and how were their expenses 
to be met if such was the case ? He thought it was not unreasonable to 
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