COUNCIL FOR 1846. 17 



the Society and the foundation of the Museum elicited throughout 

 the county of York. The Council see with pleasure a gradual 

 increase in the total number of Members, but a much larger 

 accession of strength will be required, to enable the Society to 

 extend in any material degree its usefulness to science. 



The Council trust that the Annual Meeting will be satisfied 

 with the statements that have been made as to the general con- 

 dition of the Society, the vigorous growth of its collections, and 

 the great public interest felt in its Museum and Gardens. They 

 cannot however report so favourably of the share taken by the 

 Members at large in the scientific proceedings of the Society. 

 The Monthly Meetings for scientific communications, which 

 formerly were well attended, have for some years past fallen 

 into comparative neglect: the scanty attendance of Members 

 discourages the preparation of communications, and thus one 

 main object of the Institution is permitted to languish. Shall 

 we change the hour and modify the arrangements of these 

 meetings, with the hope of augmenting the attendance of 

 Members ? Shall we circulate through our Society some printed 

 Reports of our Proceedings, for the purpose of reviving the interest 

 once felt in our progress, not only in the immediate neighbour- 

 hood of York, but even to the extremities of the County ? It 

 must be left to those who shaU be entrusted with the adminis- 

 tration of your affairs in the ensuing year to answer these ques- 

 tions : the retiring Council have, however, left on record the 

 elements of a plan which may perhaps be realized under other 

 auspices, for the occasional publication of such communications 

 presented at the Meetings as relate to the Natural History 

 and Antiquities of Yorkshire, and may deserve to be generally 

 known. 



With such objects in view, and with such a plan of expansive 

 usefulness in operation, in addition to the instruction and grati- 

 fication already provided for the Members and the Public by its 

 well-stored Museum, its beautiful and instructive Garden, and 

 the attention bestowed on the preservation of the venerable relics 

 of Antiquity entrusted to its care, the Society may be justified 



B 



