236 Report of the 



and to provide for the current expenses ; and it is hoped that in 

 subsequent years, by economical management, some reduction of 

 the debt may be effected, and means reserved for additions to the 

 Library, and for more extensively promoting the circulation of 

 the proceedings of the Society abroad. 



GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS. 



Toward the close of the last Session two important branches of 

 the operations of the Society were initiated, in the organization of 

 a Microscopical Section, and in the appointment of a Committee on 

 adulterations of articles of food. They have not as yet reported to 

 the Council, but they are warmly commended to the fostering 

 care of our successors. 



It is the practice in most Societies similar to this, that an 

 address on the progress of science in coni,ection with the So- 

 ciety should be prepared and delivered by the President at 

 the Annual Meeting. This has usually been done by us in 

 an imperfect manner in the report of the Council ; but the 

 operations ot the Society are now so important that this can 

 scarcely any longer suffice, and your Council, therefore, re- 

 commend that in future it shall be considered as a part of the 

 duty of the retiring President, and, in his absence, of the 1st Vice- 

 President, to prepare an address for the Annual Meeting, including 

 notices of the papers read and of the other operations of the Society. 

 The report of the Council will then be confined to the business 

 affairs of the Society. 



The approaching visit of His R. H. the Prince of Wales will 

 demand on the part of our successors an effort to represent as 

 effectually as possible those departments of Canadian science 

 which specially belong to the Province of this Society. This es- 

 pecially merits attention, inasmuch as the Board of Arts and 

 Manufactures has selected for its exhibition building the ground 

 adjoining that occupied by the Society. Our collections will thus 

 be brought under the notice of a much larger number of visitors 

 than usual, and it is possible that some arrangement might be 

 made for rendering our museum still more useful by opening it 

 as a part of the Great Exhibition to be held on that occasion. 



