44 PROCEEDDfaS OF THE 



the collections at the British Museum and Kew, the need of the 

 Society's Museum gradually died away, and in 1864 the miscel- 

 laneous colled ions were sold at a return which did not represent 

 a tithe of their cost to the Society, irrespective of the constant 

 gifts, by which they had been increased in the course of three 

 quarters of a century. The collections still retained by the 

 Society, were the Linnean, those of Sir J. E. Smith, the British 

 herbarium founded on Winch's collection, the type-set of 

 A\^allich's East-Indian Herbarium, a small set of Ilorsfield's 

 .Tavan plants, and the lichens of Acharius. These, which are 

 to be looked upon as closed collections, only need to be care- 

 fully preserved from injury. 



The investments of the Society exhibit the varying fortunes of 

 the Association. The first few years show that sums were from 

 time to time invested, beginning in 1791 with the sum of 

 £57 lis. 3(7. to represent £50 in 5 per cent, annuities, bought at 

 114, and realized a few years later at 74, thus showing a loss of 

 rather more than £20 on this small investment. Other amounts 

 were invested at intervals until the death of the founder, 

 when the question of buying the Linnean collections forced all 

 other matters into the background. Not only were all invest- 

 ments swallowed up, and the subscription of £1593 absorbed, and 

 a bond debt of £1300 was incurred, with a yearly payment for its 

 interest ; but bills for printing and other requirements were per- 

 force allowed to stand over and press upon the Society as a burden 

 which well-nigh paralysed its activities. Ou page 29 will be 

 found an account of the slow extinction of the bond debt. The 

 actual present condition of the funds invested takes its origin 

 from 1859, and, partly by the liberality of Mr. Bentham's bequest, 

 the sum now stands at £0327 9s. 5d. 



Donations in aid of printing or illustrating certain papers and 

 bequests have been noteworthy features of the Society ; amongst 

 these benefactors may be mentioned Sir J. Banks, Dr. Pulteney 

 for £300, Sir W. J.' Hooker 100 guineas, Prof. Bell, Messrs. 

 Daniel Hanbury, Solly, Janson, donors of £100 each, Mr. Ben- 

 thani just mentioned, and Mr. Brown's two £100 bonds. Besides 

 these we have had gifts of books, and an intended bequest of £200 

 to found a gold medal from Mr. Eudge, which was declined for 

 the reasons set forth (Proc. vol. i. pp. 315-317). 



Subscriptions for special pur])oses have been liberally made by 

 the Fellows, for the Linnean purchase, Wallich's collection 

 (£315 14s.), &c., removals and fittings, and cabinets as required. 

 The amount of £422 9s. (Sd. was subscribed for towards the cost 

 of the charter out of £4G0 5s. (5d., the patent of arms defrayed 

 by the corporate exchequer, £G1 Gs. lOd. 



The payments on account of the publications and the Library 

 having been recounted in this Address, the following figures are 

 left to speak for themselves : — 



