304 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. [Aug. 



In now resigning the office with which, contrary to my own 

 desire, you have honored me twice in succession, I have only to 

 express my regret that the pressure of other duties has prevented 

 me from devoting more time to the interests of this Society, and 

 my earnest wish that its prosperity in the past, and more especially 

 since it entered on an enlarged career of usefulness in its new 

 "building, may prove an earnest of still greater success in the 

 future. 



REPORT OF THE COUNCIL. 



The Chairman of the Council, Mr. Rinimer, then submitted 

 the following Report. 



Your Council beg to offer the following report of the proceed- 

 ings of the past year. They regret to say that even the Society 

 has not been quite free from the effects of the general commercial 

 depression. The number of new members is fourteen, but on the 

 other hand there have been many resignations. The list of mem- 

 bers has not been revised for some years, and on careful scrutiny 

 several names have been removed, many of whom have long ceased 

 to belong to the Society. 



The debt upon the building is still $2400, bearing interest. 

 The number of ordinary members is about 220, which should procure 

 an income of about $880 ; and two new life-members, Messrs. H. 

 Fraser and John Molson, have been added during the year. This 

 sum is, of course, exclusive of the government grant, which has 

 not been received so far; but your Council have every reason to 

 believe it will be when Parliament meets. We are again indebted 

 to our treasurer Mr. Ferrier, for the liberality with which he has 

 come forward and advanced money to liquidate the more pressing 

 claims. The Society owes him now $190, and the other claims 

 against it are about $300 for current expenses. Mr. Ferrier, by 

 a system of cash payment for advertising, printing, and other 

 items, has been able to reduce the expenditure from $2100 to 

 $1700. The price charged for the use of the lecture-room has 

 been reduced to $6, and for the library to $2 per evening. 



Your Council would suggest, as a means of improving the in- 

 come of the Society, that a new class of members might be intro- 

 duced, viz. non-resident paying members, who might have all the 

 advantages of the Society when they visit the city; and as they 

 cannot attend our meetings, a copy of the Naturalist might be 

 sent to their address. This would also give us the advantage of 



