98 
SECRETARY’S REPORT. 
In future the date of our annual Distribution will be changed to 
31st December in each year. Subscriptions, which are payable in 
advance, will be due on 1st January and should be paid between 
that date and March. The date of the next Exchange will there¬ 
fore be 31st December, 1901. I wish to draw the particular 
attention of members to some points of great importance in the 
working of the Club. We owe much to the Distributer for carry¬ 
ing out a difficult task, and should try to lighten and not add to his 
burden. Mr. Wheldon has referred to the practice of sending 
“ several gatherings of a species in one package and says that if this 
objectionable practice became general it would lead to a break¬ 
down of our system of working. 
There is another practice which if it became common would 
bring our working to a standstill, I allude to the habit of putting 
no name or other particulars on the packets. If labels are used 
they must be attached to the outside of the packet (this can easily 
be done with a spot of gum), or if they are placed inside the packet 
then the name and other particulars must be written on the outside. 
Mr. Wheldon writes “ it has been a great labour opening the 
packets to stamp the labels, and they also get astray in sorting and 
again in copying for the Report if there is no indication outside of 
the contents of each packet.” 
I hope next year members will bear this fact in mind and 
whether using labels or not put the particulars on the outside of 
each packet according to Rule VI. 
Another point of less importance is the excessive quantity of 
paper used in some of the packets sent in. Besides giving much 
more trouble to the Distributer in the handling and sorting these 
large packets take up too much room in the Herbarium. For my 
own part I cannot afford the room for them and have to place the 
specimens in smaller packets. Let us all bear in mind the general 
convenience of the majority and not our own particular likings in 
what is sent for the Club. 
I am glad to hear that the Beginners’ Section has proved so 
successful and has now so many members, but we are sorry so few 
members of the Club have joined it, and that more contributions 
have not been sent to it by our members. 
Now that this useful branch is in existence, it is intended to 
meet the wants of those with only an elementary knowledge of 
Bryology, while the Club itself will be more suited for the more 
advanced. The Club owes much to Mr. Horrell for undertaking 
this useful but troublesome work, and we hope he may receive 
more help from our members. 
C. H. Waddell. 
