30 PROCEEDINGS OF SOCIETIES. 



Many new members have been added to your Society during the 

 past year, and several of the former members have rejoined, whilst but 

 one member has retired. 



At the ordinary meeting held in January, 1856, your Society, at the 

 recommendation of Council, determined to hold a number of extra 

 meetings, of a more popular character than the ordinary meetings, 

 to which ladies should be admissible. Accordingly, three were held, 

 and the following papers read : — On April 23rd, * ' On the Perns of Ireland, 

 their Distribution and Mode of Cultivation," William Andrews, Esq.; 

 on May 21st, " On the Crustacea podophthalma of Ireland, their Habits 

 and Metamorphoses," Dr.Kinahan; and on June 25th, "On theMollusca 

 of Ireland," Dr. Earran. These meetings were numerously attended, 

 and were considered so satisfactory that your Council recommend the 

 repetition of the experiment during the ensuing Session, the time for 

 holding them to be fixed at the January meeting. Your Council have 

 also, in virtue of the power vested in them, to recommend that the con- 

 stitution of the Council be so far altered as to admit of the election of 

 four Vice-Presidents, in addition to the President, heretofore annually 

 chosen ; and have, accordingly, recommended the four gentlemen whose 

 names appear in the list for this office, by which arrangement they hope 

 to obviate the inconveniences which have occurred during former Ses- 

 sions, arising from the want of a fixed Chairman, especially at the po- 

 pular meetings. 



It was proposed by the Rev. Professor Haughton, seconded by James 

 Haughton, Jun., Esq., and unanimously earned, that the Report now 

 read be adopted. 



Mr. R. P. Williams next submitted the Treasurer's Report for the 

 past Session, from which it appeared there was a balance of 14s. 7d. 

 to be carried forward, and that £20 (subscriptions) was still due, and 

 that the reserve fund amounted to £58. Mr. Williams further stated 

 that thirteen new members had joined during the past session, and three 

 former members had rejoined, whilst but one member had retired from 

 the Society. The balance to their credit would have been much larger 

 but that a new item appeared in the account of this year, viz., that for 

 publication of the Society's "Proceedings." This additional outlay, he 

 hoped, would be met by the accession of new members. He might men- 

 tion that four gentlemen were to be balloted for that night, and notice 

 of three others had been given for the next — an evidence that the ensu- 

 ing Session would be equally successful. Another important matter was, 

 that the collection now contained so many rare specimens, that it was 

 considered advisable to insure it againt accidents, and the property had 

 accordingly been insured for £500, which would, no doubt, be deemed 

 satisfactory to the present, and encouraging to the future members. 



The Report having been adopted, — 



The Chairman declared the following members unanimously elected 

 as Officers of the Society for the Session of 1856-7 : 



