ProceediiKjs of the Roydl Socletij of Victoria. 289 



The reduction of the Government Grant to £100 has very 

 seriously crippled the work of the Society so far as publishing is 

 concerned, and it is much to be hoped that with a return of more 

 prosperous times the vote may be increased so as to enable the 

 Society to publish the papers presented to it, which at present it 

 is unable to do with anything like completeness. 



With the object in view of bringing Members of the Society 

 together at an annual gathering, the Council decided to re-inaug- 

 urate the Conversazione which was once an annual institution, and 

 accordingly one was held in the Society's Hall, on the evening of 

 Thursday, 22nd October, taking the place of the usual monthly 

 meeting. Short Lecturettes were given by Professor Lyle and 

 Dr. Barrett, and a Musical Programme was rendered by Students 

 of the Conservatorium. It is intended in the future to continue, 

 in some form or another, the Annual Social Re-union of Members 

 of the Society. 



The Librarian reports as follows : — I have much pleasure in 

 reporting the steady growth of the Society's Library; 1316 books 

 and parts of periodicals were received during the year 1896. 



Owing to pressure on the space in the Library, about 200 feet 

 of shelving were erected in the Council Room. This enabled the 

 books to be subdivided; all works published in England, France, 

 Germany, Austria and Holland remain in the Library ; works 

 coming from other countries, and therefore printed in the less 

 widely known languages, are now housed in the Council Room, 

 where a separate catalogue of them is kept. Very little binding 

 has been done, owing to lack of funds; this is a great misfortune, 

 as many of the unbound volumes are breaking up, and there is a 

 serious I'isk of loss of odd leaves, plates, etc. — a risk which now 

 applies to some thousands of volumes, and involves a probable 

 serious depreciation in value of the Society's property. 



14a 



