4 THE BOTANICAL EXCHANGE CLUB OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 
relatives of that distinguished botanist, M. Crepin, of Brussels, 
whose death last year has deprived us of a most kindly helper 
with the Roses, a genus which he did much to elucidate. 
In presenting this Report for 1903 I am sure I only express 
the feelings of every member, when in their name I tender to 
Mr. Charles Bailey our warmest thanks for the great services he 
has rendered to this Club, and to Field Botany, during the long 
term of years for which he has been our presiding officer. To 
the regret of every member he has been obliged to retire from 
actual official labour connected with the Club, but his services 
will be kept in remembrance by them all. 
I have to thank the members for allowing me to carry on 
the work of the Club, and although I feel in some measure the 
desirability of having one strong Club rather than two less power- 
ful bodies, yet it must be admitted that there are objections to 
a Club containing too large a number of contributing members, 
since the labour of distributing, if the parcels are over 20 in 
number, becomes of a serious nature, especially to those members 
who only have limited room at their disposal. Again, it appears 
to many members, and none feel it more than our late Secretary, 
that it would be unadvisable to lower the standard of the Club’s 
work in any way. At the same time there appears to be in our 
own Society every facility for the less expert botanist who may 
be admitted to our ranks ; for much remains to be done in the 
way of distributing plants, even common ones, so long as they 
are carefully selected and well-prepared specimens. There is 
no danger of a parcel, even of the commonest plants, being re- 
jected, so long as some point of interest is represented. 
On this point I may quote from Mr. A. Fryer, who has long 
and diligently noted the critical variations of Pondweeds. He 
says, “ any species, or varieties from any localities and as varied 
stations in the same locality as possible, while early and mature 
states from the same rootstock are very instructive. If we can 
get them from all parts of the kingdom what materials for the 
study of variations, and the effects of local conditions. To say 
nothing of the certainty of one or two wanting continental forms 
turning up The ‘ new county record ’ has been good in 
its day, but the new facts arc what naturalists require." Mr. F. J. 
