24 
but better prepared, larger in amount, and above all, correctly 
named, to which the Club’s stamp can be affixed with some 
confidence. 
The best thanks of the Club is due to the following, for their 
kind and valuable services:—Mr. H. N. Dixon, who acted as chief 
referee for critical species and any difficult ones selected and passed 
on to him ; Messrs. Barker, Ingham, Lett Meldrum, Nicholson, 
Wheldon, and the Hon. Sec., who acted as assistant referees. 
It is earnestly requested that any further errors which may be 
defected will be mentioned by members in the Note Book when it 
comes to them. 
We hope that from time to time, say every two or three years, 
the distributor may be changed as is done in other Clubs. Mr. 
Wheldon has kindly consented to act next year, and also to be Hon. 
Treasurer, as the Hon. Sec. finds the work of the Club at present 
makes too large demands on his time. 
It has been our practice to send parcels to all members whose 
subscriptions were paid after giving the first choice of course to 
those who contributed parcels for exchange. 
We hope that the Note Book will be freely used to record useful 
observations, selections from which can be printed in the Annual 
Report. 
Many complaints have been made of the small size of specimens 
contributed, and not without reason. In previous reports much 
has been said on this subject, which need not be repeated here. 
It would be far better to send fewer but better specimens, and we 
shall have to adopt strong measures next year to insure that the 
specimens sent out are sufficiently large in every case to exhibit the 
character of the plant. A bad specimen is never satisfactory, may 
lead to error, and will certainly not inspire gratitude towards the 
collector, while a good one is a joy for ever. 
It may tie well to allude to the working of Rule IV., which 
directs how members should mark their Catalogues of Desiderata, 
as it has been disregarded in some cases, and to suggest an im¬ 
provement. 
The Rule states that “each of his Desiderata should be marked,” 
and no fault is found with the way in which the majority carry out 
the Rule. Some who have only a few plants, and want many, say, 
e.g. “ Send me any but the commonest,” instead of marking their 
catalogues. 
Instead of such special directions, which cannot always be kept 
in mind, and may lead to confusion and mistake, a convenient 
plan is here suggested, (which is already followed by several mem¬ 
bers,) to meet these cases, as it has been found to work well. 
Let the member who has few plants, but many wants, mark out 
with a cross, as the Rule directs, only the plants he has and leave 
his Desiderata unmarked. The distributor will then see at a glance 
the state of his herbarium, and can act accordingly. What has 
been said need not prevent him from marking with the horizontal 
line-any particular plants he is anxious to have besides. 
