cxxxiv Journal of Proceedings.
accordance with notice given, for the purpose of considering pertain
alterations of and additions to the Rules.
But exception was taken by Mr. F. W. Elliott to the Special Meeting
being held in Loughton, inasmuch as Rule XXII. ordered that any
Special Meeting should be held at the headquarters of the Club (which
were at present at Buckhurst Hill). The Secretary was requested to hold
another Special Meeting at the headquarters for the purpose of consider-
ing the proposed alterations.
An Ordinary Meeting (the fifty-fifth) was then held for the election
and nomination of members. The following were elected :—Rev. E. S.
Dewick, M.A., F.G.S., Mrs. Holmes, Messrs. W. F. Savage, Horatio
Timbrell, and A. H. Williams.
In commencing the Fifth Annual Meeting, the Secretary read the
Report of the Council for 1884, and the Treasurer's Statement of
Account (see Appendix), which were unanimously adopted.
The Secretary submitted a Statement of Receipts and Expenditure of
the " Tea Fund," which showed a balance in hand of £1 7s. 5d.
The new members of Council nominated at last meeting (see
p. cxxxii), were declared to be elected ; and on the ballot being taken,
the Officers then nominated were declared unanimously elected by the
Scrutineers, Messrs. W. H. Edinger and F. W. Elliot.
The Council nominated Mr. Gr. J. Symons, F.E.S., and Mr. E. T. New-'
ton, F.G.S., as Honorary Members of the Club, and the nominations were
unanimously confirmed.
Prof. Boulger then delivered an address :—
The Presidential Address, 1885.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since our last annual meeting we have, I think I may say, as a Club
passed through a year which we may hope in the future may prove to
have been one of average growth and average success. Having, I hope,
permanently passed the number 400 in our list of members, I trust we
may make rapid progress up to and beyond 500; since as our numbers
increase we are able to return their subscriptions to our members in the
form of publications, the value of which forms a constantly increasing
ratio to the amount subscribed by each of us. At the present time,
indeed, the most unsatisfactory aspect of our work is the crippling of our
efforts, both in publication and in original investigations, by the want of
"the sinews of war" ; and, whilst we have no lack of subjects for inves-
tigation, no lack of investigators or of papers for our meetings, our
' Transactions' are already, from this cause alone, sadly in arrear.
Our losses by death during the past year have not been unusually
serious ; but outside the ranks of our Club the mortality among scientific
men has of late been exceptionally great, and I would especially mention
the loss that we, among the Tertiary rocks and Pleistocene gravels of
the Eastern counties, have suffered in the death of Mr. Searles Valentine
Wood, F.G.S., who was much interested in our work.
The scientific event of the year with us has certainly been the earth-
quake of April 22nd, on which we are looking forward to a full report
from our former President, Mr. Meldola ; whilst next in importance I
may place the commencement of our actual investigation of the