Xll 
PROCEEDINGS, 
Mr. George James Symons, E.R.S., President of the Royal Meteoro¬ 
logical Society, who passed away on the 10th of March in his 
62nd year. 
Pounder of the most extensive organization in the world for any 
scientific purpose, his army of rainfall observers in the British Isles 
numbering over 3,000, Mr. Symons was best known as our greatest 
authority on rainfall, hut he had a wonderful knowledge of every 
department of meteorology and of almost every subject connected 
with it. An excellent organizer, he was also most energetic and 
methodical, and was thus enabled to do a vast amount of work. 
He started an organization in 1857 for observing and recording 
thunderstorms. His first published volume of * British Rainfall ’ 
contained the records for the year 1860, and in 1866 he commenced 
the publication of the ‘Monthly Meteorological Magazine,’ con¬ 
tributing at least one article to every number which appeared up 
to the time of his death. Your Editor consulted him in 1875 with 
regard to establishing a meteorological observatory at Watford, 
and he is hut one of many who have gone to him on a similar 
errand, and perhaps hut one of many who have thus commenced 
with him a friendship lasting until his death. He was elected an 
honorary member of this Society in 1876, and in 1883 he gave 
a lecture at Watford on “Meteorology and some Connected 
Subjects” (Trans., Yol. Ill, pp. ix-xiii). His disposition was 
most genial, and in the many scientific Societies on which he 
was at one time or other a member of the governing body, he 
never made an enemy. He was Honorary Secretary of the Royal 
Meteorological Society for twenty-four years and President for 
three years, and had again been elected President in January as 
best suited to fill that office during the jubilee year of the Society. 
It is proposed to found as a memorial to him a gold medal to he 
awarded from time to time (probably biennially) by the Council 
of the Royal Meteorological Society in recognition of distinguished 
work in meteorological science. 
The census of the Society at the end of the years 1899 and 
1900 was as follows :— 
1899. 
1900. 
Honorary Members. 
> . . 15 
15 
Corresponding Members . . . . 
3 
Life Members. 
... 46 
44 
Annual Subscribers. 
... 140 
120 
204 
182 
The following papers or lectures have been read or delivered at 
Watford during the year :— 
Jan. 16.—Notes on the Place-names and Field-names of the Parish of 
Watford, Herts ; by Percy Manning, M.A., F.S.A. 
- Report on the Conference of Delegates to the British Association 
at Dover in 1899 ; by John Hopkinson, F.L.S., F.G.S., 
Assoc. Inst. C.E. 
March 20.—Anniversary Address; by the President, the Right Honourable 
the Earl of Verulam. 
