I 8 PEOCEEDINGS OF THE 



After prolonged consideration the Council have determined to 

 grapple with this difficulty. It is largely one of money. The 

 Treasurer has been so successful in his investments that the 

 Council feel that the present moment is the opportune one for 

 gettinij back to the original conception of the Journal. There are 

 two things to be considered, viz. (1) the details of running the 

 Journal so that it sliall appear on fixed dates, and shall contain 

 all the papers read (and approved for publication) up to fixed dates ; 

 (2) tlie clearing off the present arrears completely, so that the 

 clean running may commence with the next session. To get rid 

 of the arrears, almost wholly botanic, it is intended to publish an 

 additional botanic volume of the Journal about the 1st November 

 next — the Treasurer sees his way to find the extra outlay, and 

 the Secretary thinks, at least with some slight assistance, that 

 the editing can be done and the volume put through. Then, as to 

 keeping the Journal up to time afterwards, the Council propose 

 to have no paper intended for press read until it has been approved 

 for publication and found by the Secretary ready for the printer ; 

 and in particular till the plates are so far prepared that the Secre- 

 tary sees that there is time for the paper to be got into the Journal 

 that is bound to appear on a fixed day. 



I am, in these statements, taking the Society completely into 

 the confidence of the Council, tinder the proposed working, 

 there may be some delay in getting a paper read ; but after 

 that its appearance in print would be automatic ; and the Council 

 believe that this plan will be, on the whole, acceptable to authors. 

 Considerable extra work will be thrown on the Secretaries, as 

 they will be obliged practically to edit all papers in MS. instead 

 of in proof. It will be a great advantage to the Council to know 

 always exactly how they stand, and what their liabilities are, 

 when they approve any paper for reading, i. e. for publication, 

 and how soon they will have to pay for it. 



These arrangements apply, of course, to papers which the 

 authors desire to read with a view to publication. The Officers 

 will usually be able to accept papers for which the authors do 

 not desire publication ; such papers are nowise distinguishable 

 from exhibits. As I ventured to hint last year, I think when, 

 all the more urgent matters have been attended to, we may well 

 consider whether we cannot publish a fuller account of some of 

 our exhibits. 



Library Catalogue. 



The Library has occu[)ied much of the time of the Council. 

 The Library Catalogue had been so long delayed that my own 

 notion two years ago was to print a rough Catalogue which should 

 be a handbook for overhauling the Library and the foundation 

 for a more perfect Catalogue some years hence. There were 

 some iFellows of the Society who wanted, within three months 

 at most, a complete and finished Catalogue. Those who have 



