THE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 301 



chell Honorary INIembers of the Society and ex^officio Members of 

 the Council, and it is concluded that there can be but one opinion 

 of their eminent fitness for these appointments. — Mr. Holl has un- 

 dertaken to act as Secretary, jointly with Mr. Harry Chester, until 

 further arrangements can be made by the Council. — The Council 

 are convinced that the real value of the Society, its usefulness, and 

 means of permanent popularity, will depend mainly on the early 

 acquisition of a valuable museum and library, and they strongly re- 

 commend that great efforts should be made to secure this important 

 point : they, therefore, propose that a separate fund should be cre- 

 ated for the express purpose of furnishing books, cabinets, and spe- 

 cimens of stuffed birds, skins, nests, eggs, skeletons, and anatomical 

 parts and preparations to illustrate the habits and the internal and 

 external structure of birds ; that a book should be opened for '' Sub- 

 scriptions to the Museum and Library Fund," and that the property 

 acquired by these subscriptions should remain vested in the names 

 of the subscribers until the general funds of the Society be suffici- 

 ent to repay to the Subscribers the sums which might be advanced 

 for this purpose. The Council confidently appeal to the liberality 

 of the friends of the Society, to furnish in this manner the means of 

 establishing it at once upon an honorable and advantageous footing. 

 — In conclusion, the Council are anxious to impress upon the minds 

 of the members that the popularity of the Society will be greater 

 or less in proportion to the extension or contraction of its basis ; 

 that, by a judicious combination of the scientific, the attractive, and 

 the practical, not only good will be effected, but the means of effect- 

 ing it will be increased, and the support of all parties may be 

 counted upon, from those who look to the improvement of the 

 breeds of domestic poultry, to those who delight in the loftiest spe- 

 culations of Science. — Books are opened at the Society's rooms for 

 subscriptions to the museum and library fund, and for donations to 

 the general funds, to the library, to the museum, and to the col- 

 lection of living birds." 



The reading of the Report was followed by a very interesting 

 discussion of the various modes in which the institution might be 

 made to work for the public good : for our own part it appears to 

 us that all its objects are admirable. It proposes to unite all 

 classes of ornithologists for the attainment of their common objects ; 

 and it has already united Mr. Vigors, Swainson, IMacleay, Lord 

 Derby, Stanley, Gray, Horsfield, Yarrell, Mudie, Sykes, Gould, 

 Burchell, Richardson, Selby — why prolong the list ? We have 

 stated that the Earl of Derby and Dr. Burchell have been elected 



