XIV PBOCEEDIKGS OF THE 



I have always felt that the introduction of this custom has been 

 productive not only of immediate interest, but of much valuable in- 

 formation. Conducted, as I am happy to say these discussions have 

 always been amongst us, with good temper and kindly feeling, they 

 tend greatly to enliven our meetings, to correct mistakes and errors, 

 to elicit fresh information, to give confidence to the younger and 

 authority to the older Pellows, and to create a more intimate and 

 friendly relation betvi'^een the members of our body. It has even some- 

 times happened, on the rare occasions when we have scarcely had a 

 paper of interest left for the evening's reading, that some subject has 

 been incidentally started, the discussion of which has been carried 

 on with so much spirit and intelligence, and has elicited so much 

 fresh information, as to make ample amends for the absence of any 

 long systematic paper, which, however valuable in a scientific 

 point of view, might have excited but little attention in the hearers, 

 and have accomplished its object of usefulness and interest, only 

 when it should have appeared in our publications. When the 

 custom of sitting in solemn silence to listen to the reading of 

 papers, whether dull or interesting, without the opportunity of 

 even hazarding a single remark upon the subject of them, was 

 broken through, and friendly discussion was allowed and invited, 

 there were some of our most distinguished members, the intensity 

 of whose conservatism led them to anticipate the ruin of the So- 

 ciety, or at least that its meeting-room would become the arena of 

 almost gladiatorial combats of rival intellects. I need not say 

 how fallacious these forebodings have, happily, proved, and I can- 

 not but hope that those who have the power, will never want the 

 will to take a part in so agreeable a means of contributing to the 

 general stock of our knowledge. 



Whilst dwelling on the pleasant subject of our prosperity, I 

 cannot pass without notice a striking proof of the estimation in 

 which the publications of the Society are held, — I mean the extent 

 of their sale out of the Society. Notwithstanding the number 

 of members who have recently joined us, the amount received 

 for the sale of the Transactions and Proceedings is no less than 

 £178, which is not only far in excess of any previous year, but 

 more than double the average of many years past. 



The Auditors' report is before you, but I will recapitulate one 

 or two items, in order to place our present condition in a simple 

 and perspicuous point of view. Our balance at the banker's is 

 diminished by no less than £139, but our debt is abolished to the 

 extent of £439, leaving a balance in favour of tlie Society on the 



