40 PEOCEEDrNGS OF THE 



considered by the Council, and only those that are real contri- 

 butions to knowledge, and are expressed in fitting language, are 

 published. 



During the past year we completed the great monograph of 

 Eaton on the E])hemeridaE>, and added a large instalment to that 

 of Davidson on Eccent Brachiopoda. We published the Botany 

 of the Afghan Delimitation Commission by Aitchison, of the 

 Expedition to Eoraima by Im Thuru, and of the Expedition to 

 Kilima-njaro by Johnston. We issued further instalmcuts of 

 the Flora of China, and the greater portion of the zoological 

 results of Dr. Anderson's exploration of the Mergui Archipelago. 



Had the last year's publications been printed in the size and 

 type of the original quarto Transactions, they would have required 

 seven and a half volumes with suitable illustrations, and, at the 

 rate of those days, would have occupied sixteen years in publi- 

 cation. 



But a year so fertile in publications means a year of heavy 

 expenditure. Our only source of income is the payments by 

 Fellows — the sums contributed by those v.ho pay annually, and 

 the interest from the investments which represent compositions. 

 Our house-expenses are very moderate, a considerable sum is spent 

 on our library, though not great relatively to our income, the chief 

 charge on our funds being the cost of our publications. It would 

 be a great misfortune if we were compelled to refuse publication to 

 communications that deserved it from want of funds. Last year 

 we lost 18 members by death, 6 by withdrawal, and the Council 

 had to strike off the list 7 names of Fellows who had failed 

 to meet their obligations, making a total of 31 Fellows, being 

 exactly the number of Fellows elected during the year. Vie are 

 consequently beginning the year with the same number of Fel- 

 lows on our roll that we had last year. It is in every way desi- 

 rable that our numbers should be increased. Almost every name 

 of eminence in biological science in Britaiii is inscribed on our 

 roll, and our list of Foreign Members incorporates with us all 

 the masters in our science throughout the world. It would be 

 well if we could secure the addition to our Fellowship of all en- 

 lightened workers in biology iu our country. But were we to 

 limit Fellowship to men of science, our numbers would be small, 

 and our opportunities of usefulness few. From the foundation 

 of the Linnean Society we have sought to include in our number 

 the lovers and patrons of science as well as its workers, and such 

 members have often rendered services to the Society that woiild 

 be miserably represented were we to take into account only their 

 money-payments to our funds. Our strength lies iu progress 

 on the same lines in the future. 



The first property of the Society, beyoud its ofilcial books, was 

 the Library, which was established at the foundation of the 

 Society, with Dr. Dryander, as 1 have said, as its first librarian. 



