770 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL RIST. SOCIETY, Vol. XXV. 



Minor contributions from Mr. F. Atlay, Major F. A. H. Clarke, r.a.m.c, 

 Mr. W, S. Millard, Mr. J. E. Needham, Mr. W. S. Rogers and Sir J. S. 

 Donald. 



ACCOUNTS FOR 1917. 



Mr. L. Robertson, C.S.I., I.C.S., the Honorary Treasurer, presented that 

 account for 1917. Referring to the membership he remarked that the total 

 number of members at the end of 1917 was 1,738 as compared with 1,711 

 at the end of 1914. It was a matter for congratulation that there had 

 been no decline in the number of members during the years of war. It 

 was, however, very desirable that members should endeavour to persuade 

 others to join as the income from members' subscriptions was the mainstay 

 of the finance of ttie Society and, indeed, the Journal which the members 

 received free was well worth the small annual subscription of Rs. 15. 



Turning to the figures in the accounts Mr. Robertson explained that 

 the year opened with a balance of Rs. 5,700 and closed with the balance of 

 Rs. :2,y46. Ordinary income and expenditure were about the same as last 

 year. A sum of Rs. 10,000 was invested in War Bonds. The staff had 

 also been assisted to subscribe to the War Loan by advances on easy terms 

 and a sum of Rs. 1,032 had been utilized in this way. 



The Mammal Funds Accounts were also dealt with. Owing to the ab- 

 sence of the collectors on active service not much work was being carried 

 on, but several of the members had been good to work for the Society and 

 some interesting collections had been received from Mesopotamia and 

 Baluchistan. The year opened with a balance of Rs. 9,333 and closed with 

 a balance of Rs. 8,962. This will suflice to carry on the work in the present 

 restricted scale, but when collectors again become available an energetic 

 appeal would have to be made for funds. 



Mr. Robertson mentioned that the Secretary of State, Mr. Montagu, paid 

 a visit to the Society's Museum in January last and took great interest in 

 the collections and in the work being done by the Mammal Survey. 



PAPERS READ. 



The following papers were read : — (1) " The Cultivation of the Edible 

 Date Palm in India " by Surgeon-General W. B. Bannerman, C.S.I., 

 I. M.S. :— In which an account was given of the successful cultivation of 

 this palm in Trichinopoly Gaol. Photographs of the trees and fruit were 

 exhibited and it was suggested that the cultivation might prove successful 

 at many places in the Deccan. (2) " On Non-parasitic Plant Diseases " by 

 the Revd. E. Blater, S. J. The papers will be published in full in the 

 Society's Journal. The meeting ended with a vote of thanks to the various 

 contributors. 





