Proceedings of the Linnean Society of London - University Library

LINNEA.N SOCIETY OF LONDON. 1
this invitation has been most gratifying. No less than 26 duly
qualified scientific women have been elected—a very notable
accession to the Society,
In the past, although good scientific \\ ork by women, in both
Botany and Zoology, has been brought on occasions before our
meetings and has been printed in our publications, the Author
was ever placed at a disadvantage ; and if she appeared in person
to read the paper, it \\as only possible as an act of grace and by
special permission of the Council. Now our women workers can
appear in their own riglit, they join us free from all disabilities,
and they enjoy the privileges of fellowship and the duties of
office on equal terms with men. Names cf both men and women
appeared for the first time in the list of candidates on November
17th, and in the ballot on December loth, 1904, when 18 were
elected.
I cannot but feel that in being privileged to receive the first
Lady-Fellows I have, to some extent, reaped where I did not sow.
It would have been more appropriate, had the necessary constitutional
processes allowed, if my predecessor, Professor Vines,
before relinquishing the Chair, had conducted in person the
inauguration of the new order resulting from the changes brought
about during his presidency. That, however, was impossible ; but
he enjoyed the distinction of presenting the first Lady-Fellow, and
on January 19th, 1905, I had the pleasure of admitting to the
Fellowship Mrs. Catherine Crisp, the wife of our Treasurer ;
Mrs. ]Mary Ann Stebbing, the wife of our Zoological Secretary ;
Mrs. Percy Sladen, the widow of a former Zoological Secretary
and such well-luiown scientific workers as Miss Margaret Benson,
Miss Gulielma Lister, Miss Ethel Sargant, AJiss Lorrain Smith,
Miss Silver, Miss E. L. Turner, Mrs. Veley, and Miss E.
Willmott—followed at subsequent meetings during the session bv
Mrs. M. V. Scott, wife of our Botanical Secretary ; and others.
To-day I have had the honour of admitting Her Grrace the Duchess
of Bedford, who was in the list of first Lady-Fellows elected on
December loth. Such additions can be nothing but a strength
and an honour to our Society, and the Treasurer has signalized
the historic occasion by a dinner to the new Fellows and by commissioning
a picture of the scene at our meeting on January 19th,
to be painted by Mr. James Sant, E.A., and [)resented to the
Society for the permanent adornment of our library.
In all 4-1 new Fellows have been added to the roll this Session
a noteworthy increase as compared with 27 last Session and 22
the average for the last 10 years.
Chapter III. Sect. I. of our Bye-Laws provides that such
Members of the Royal Family as may express a \nsh to belong to
the Society become Honorary Members. It has been felt by the
Council, as I am sure it \\-ill be also by all the Fellows of the
Society, to be most appropriate, in the session when the first
Lady-Fellows were admitted, that the nttention of the Queen
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