86 PBOCEEDINOS OF THE 



had also been received in exchange, and otherwise, 145 volumes 

 and 2S1 detached parts ; besides 40 volumes obtained by ex- 

 change and donation from tlie editors and proprietors of inde- 

 pendent periodicals. The Council, at the recommendation of the 

 Library Committee, have sanctioned the purchase of 80 volumes 

 and 81 parts of important works. The total additions to the 

 Library are therefore 312 volumes and 614 separate parts. 

 Among the donations to the Library, I may perhaps specially 

 mention 16 volumes' of the 'Challenger' Series (nearly half of 

 which, I may add, are the work of Fellows of our own Society), 

 and Eetzius's magnificent volume on the Structure of the Ear. 



The only special feature in the accounts is the sum of £500 

 left us by Mr. Bentham, to which I have already alluded. One 

 half of the sum received for compositions has been invested, in 

 accordance with the usual practice, and the balance at the end 

 of the year shows an increase of £470. 



The papers communicated to the Society during the past year 

 have been fully up to the average. In Zoology, for instance, I 

 may especially mention Mr. Eaton's important w^ork on the 

 Ephemeridse ; while the discoveries of Mr. Druery and Mr. Bower 

 constituted a most interesting addition to our knowledge of the 

 developmental history of Eerns. 



Our gallery of portraits has this year again several interesting 

 additions. Eirst, there is an admirable likeness of Mr. Busk, 

 who acted as our Zoological Secretary for ten years with such 

 marked ability and great advantage to the Society. Many of us 

 had long looked to him as a future President, and I am sure 

 we all sincerely trust that his health and strength may ere long 

 be sufficiently restored to enable him to take once more an 

 active part amongst us. The portrait is, I think all will admit, 

 an admirable likeness, and all the more interesting as being 

 the work of his own daughter, with whom it has evidently been 

 a labour of love. 



The likeness of Mr. Currey, for which we are indebted to his 

 son, will also be greatly appi'eciated by his many friends in the 

 Society. 



We also receive this evening a bust of Linna?us, which will be 

 presented to us formaUy by Prof. Duncan, on behalf of the 

 donors Dr. and Mrs. Eobert Brown. 



I must not anticipate the proceedings of to-morrow evening, 

 yet I must congratulate Prof. Lankester on the progress of the 

 Marine Biological Association, which is so greatly due to his 

 energy. The object is to erect one or more Laboratories on the 

 coast of the Lnited Kingdom, where studies may be carried on by 

 naturalists, leading to an improvement in zoological and botanical 

 science, and "especially to an adequate acquaintance with the food, 

 habits, spawning, and propagation of our marine food-fishes and 

 shell-fish," — to obtain more thorough knowledge of the life and 

 habits of our marine fauna ; and a more complete account of the 



