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OBITUARIES ELEANOR VACHELL, F.L.S., 1878-1948 Miss Eleanor Vachel, who died on the 6th December, 1948, was a very distinguished botanist, and her death ends a family record of membership of the Society which lasted continuously from 1871. She was a daughter of Dr. C. T. Vachell, and was a joint recording secretary for the Flora of Glamorgan, published in volumes 39-44 of the Society's Transactions. When the Biological and Geological Section was established in 1887, ladies were not eligible for membership; this rule was relaxed in 1903, and very appropriately Miss Vachell was the first to be elected. She remained a member to the last, and was President of the Section for the 1932-3 session. She also took a great interest in the Junior Section, over which she presided in 1924-5. She joined the Society as a member in 1927, having, during the lifetime of her parents held a family ticket; she at once became a member of the Council and was elected President for 1936-7, being the first and only lady President in the Society's lifetime. Miss Vachell was an ardent student of the British flora, and spared no pains in achieving her ambition of seeing every species on the British list flowering in its native habitat, and we understand she only failed with one species. Her connection with the National Museum of Wales began with membership of the Court of Governors and of the Management Committee in 1919, of the Council in 1924, and of the Finance and Science Committees in 1926. By her will the herbarium, together with most of her books and other literature on botany, passed to the National Museum of Wales, and in a clause reproduced in the Council report for 1948-9 (p. 5 below) a generous bequest was made to the Cardiff Naturalists' Society for the furtherance of amateur botanical research. Her weekly contribution to the Western Mail on wild flowers was a feature much appreciated by its readers, and the obituary notice and editorial in that journal on the 7th December paid a graceful tribute to her work and personality. Her services to the Society were very highly appreciated, and the memory of her charm of manner, enthusiasm, and ability will always be cherished by those privileged to work with her. Her death has deprived the Society of one of its most devoted and useful members. H. M. HALLETT. J. W. RODGER, M.S.A., 1859-1950. By the death on the 5 th April, 1950, of Mr. John W. Rodger, the Society has lost a former President and one-time strong supporter of its Archaeological Section. Mr. Rodger was born at Leeds, and raised himself from modest beginnings as a builder's clerk at Barrow-in-Furness to partner in the architectural firm of Halliday and Rodger at Cardiff. In this capacity much church restoration work came his way, including that carried out at Llantwit Major, and gave him an opportunity for archaeological research. In 1902 Mr. Rodger became Hon. Secretary of the Archaeological Section and member of the Society's Council. About the same time his architectural knowledge and skill as a surveyor brought him an important role in the excavations conducted by John Ward on Roman and medieval sites near Cardiff. In this way he came to contribute to the Transactions a memoir illustrated with his own drawings on the architecture of Castell Morgraig, Llanishen (1905) and to survey the Society's excavations at the Roman fort at Gellygaer (1899-1913). His work at the latter site was particularly important, since this was one of the first Roman auxiliary forts to be scientifically and completely excavated in any country. Mr. Rodger's own research naturally lay in the medieval field, and the most important was devoted to the church and monastic buildings at Llantwit Major. His memoir on the