12 



occupy, on fixed and moderate terms, the ground contiguous 

 to the ramparts ; and have thus given it the ancient City 

 walls for one of the boundaries of its Garden. 



Enjoying so large a share of public favour, and promising 

 so many new advantages, the Institution has increased the 

 number of its Members, in a proportion which almost doubles 

 the admissions of the preceding twelvemonth ; and through 

 the funds supplied by these means, the Council have been 

 enabled to relieve the accounts of more than half the debt 

 which had been formerly contracted, so that the balance 

 against the Society is reduced to thirty-four pounds. But the 

 fees of admission paid by new Members, are an accidental 

 and precarious source of income ; and the Council request the 

 attention of the Meeting to the fact, that without this assistance 

 the expenditure of the year would have exceeded the annual 

 subscriptions by seventeen pounds, even though a severe 

 economy has been observed, and though but half the salary of 

 that highly valued and indispensable Officer of the Institution, 

 the Keeper of the Museum, has been paid from the public 

 fund.* They would also remind the Meeting, that the increased 

 expenses of the new establishment, must be expected to be 

 more than a counterbalance for the reduction of rent ; and lastly, 

 that the maintenance of a Scientific Garden, which is one of the 

 conditions of the royal grant, must be expected, ^n however 



' The remainder of the salary has been hitherto paid by private subscription. 

 The same means have been resorted to, for the purchase of zoological specimens 

 and boolcs of Natural History ; but the important object of forming a good 

 Library for scientific reference, can only be accomplished by an increase of the 

 general funds : at present, the works of this description which the Society pos- 

 sesses, are insufficient for the proper.use and iUustratiop of its Collections. 



