( 67 ) 

 -SESSION 1867-1858. 



FKIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 18, 1867. 



Peofkssob W. H. Hartey, M.D., M.R.I.A., F.L.8., Prbsidmt, 

 in the Chair. 



The previous Minutes having been confirmed, the Secretary read the 

 following — 



REPOET OP COUNCIL. 



In submitting the nineteenth Annual Report, your Council has again to 

 congratulate the Society on its past progress, and on the position which 

 it now holds. During the Session seven new Members were added to tho 

 Society, and one former Member rejoined, making a total increase of 

 Ordinary Members of eight. On the other hand, the loss of Members 

 has been four — Halliday Bruce, Esq., by death ; and three. Professor 

 Allman, Dr. Farran, and R. J. Usher, Esq., by resignation. One As- 

 sociate and six Corresponding Members have also been elected through 

 the year, giving a total gain of eleven Members to the Society. 



The additions to the Museum have been both numerous and valuable, 

 as will be seen by reference to the list of them in the Journal, and in the 

 Report of the Museum Committee, about to be presented to you this 

 evening. Your Council cannot but regret, however, that this most im- 

 portant department is not as yet in as perfect a condition as could be 

 desired, owing to the heavy yearly charges under which the Society 

 labours ; but it is to be hoped, ere the close of the next year, that 

 some at least of the departments at present incomplete and unarranged 

 will be fully displayed for the inspection of the Members. One impor- 

 tant group — the Crustacea — heretofore only partially represented, has 

 been during the year arranged, and, owing to the donations of Members, 

 now contains more than three-fourths of the Irish Decapods, including 

 nearly all of the rarer species, and several unique specimens. These 

 are now so displayed as to be easy of access for reference and identifica- 

 tion. 



Two years since, your Council entered into arrangements by which 

 the papers read before the meetings should be published in a collected 

 form, in order to preserve in full the new facts elicited during each Ses- 

 sion, and thus place the Society in a position to exchange its Transac- 

 tions with home and foreign Societies. The good effect of this arrange- 

 ment was so apparent, that when, at the commencement of the past 

 Session, through the unavoidable expenses attendant on the occupation 

 of these rooms, a difficulty arose in canying out the pecuniar}* portion 

 of the agreement, yoiu* Council felt justified in appealing to the Mem- 



I 



