129 
THE ANNUAL MEETING 
VII. — Organisation. 
Membership. — From death and otlier causes io6 subscribers 
liave been lost to the Society, and 241 new members have been 
enrolled, making the total membership on March 31, 1,423. 
Among the losses by death your Council would especially 
call attention to those of Miss Frances Power Cobbe ; Mr. 
William Joseph Richards, the Founder of the United Devon 
Association; and Mr. A. Winkler Wills, founder and formerly 
President of our Birmingham Branch. 
Rules. — The rules of the Society, as originally drafted, having 
been found in many respects vague and inadequate, they were 
referred to a Committee of your Council for revision, and after 
being very fully discussed in Committee, and also by the Council 
as a whole, were passed by a Special General Meeting on 
February 22 last. Attention is directed to the fact that, under 
these Rules, a copy of which has been sent to every member, 
a new grade of membership, that of Adherents, has been created, 
paying a minimum annual subscription of not less than one 
shilling. 
Branches. — Reports have been received from the Bath, 
Birmingham and Midland, Clapton (Lower Lea Valley), Croydon, 
East Riding, and Hampstead (Northern Heights) Branches. 
The following are extracts from these : — 
Bath. — The chief event in the annals of the Bath Branch of the Selborne 
Society to chronicle for the past year is the acceptance of the presidency of the 
Board by Col. H. M. Skrine, J.P. The Committee was willing to leave the 
post unfilled for a time, in the hope that Col. Skrine would kindly take the 
office, as it felt that if he undertook the position the future well-being of the 
Branch would be assured. In such a large Branch there are always a great many 
changes in the membership, and the past year has been no exception to this 
rule, 54 members having left and 43 new members have been enrolled. During 
the winter four lectures were given at the Royal Literary and Scientific Institu- 
tion. On November 14 Miss Wheelwright gave a paper on “The Growth and 
Structure of a Tree”; on January 9 Mr. Griffin lectured on the “Decorative 
Aspect of Plant Life”; on February 13 the Branch gave a soiree in connection 
with the Literary and Philosophical Association, and Mr. Appleby lectured on 
“ Stone Crosses, Ancient and Modern,” illustrated by lantern slides, most of 
which were from photographs which he had specially taken for the occasion ; and on 
March 16 Miss Long gave another of her papers, this time the subject being the 
“ Life History of the Fern.” Since the last Annual Meeting there have been 
seven excursions. On May 31, 1902, the Rev. W. S. II. Samler conducted about 
25 members in the neighbourhood of Midford, and on June 14, 46 members 
visited Longleat Park. On July 5 Canon Ellacombe entertained about 70 
members; while on July 19 Mr. M. H. Scott conducted a party of 33 members 
over Malmesbury Abbey. On September 26 about 50 members spent an after- 
noon in the Botanic Garden of the Royal Victoria Park. On April 25, 1903, 
48 members were conducted over the most picturesque spots of Bristol by 
i\Ir. F. Bligh Bond. On May 16, Mr. M. II. Scott conducted an excursion to 
Glastonbury, which 45 members attended. 
During the year a “ Flora of the District ” has been compiled by past and 
present members, and is in manuscript in the library. Although it does not 
contain as many varieties as Babington’s list which was published nearly seventy 
years ago, at least it does not perpetuate the errors into which that writer fell 
through copying the lists of previous authors without verifying their statements. 
