PROCEEDINGS OE THE SOCIETY. 217 



to obtain access to mauy of tlie works througli wbicli sucli obscrv..tious 

 arc scattered, but also to tbe Fellows and Biologists generally in Loudon, 

 who, apart from tbe fact of tbe original communications being in most 

 cases in a foreign language, are assisted in tbeir researches by having the 

 salient points of recent investigations collected together in a condensed 

 form. 



One of the Secretaries has kindly undertakeu (as an honorary office) the 

 Editorship of the Journal. 



Business at the Meetings. 



The Council are of opinion that it would be useful, in the best sense of 

 the term, that any important observations in Biology made by Foreign 

 Observers should be noticed at the Meetings, and with this view they have 

 requested the Secretaries to bring to the notice of the Meetings any such 

 observations, illustrated by drawings where possible. The Council will bo 

 glad to receive the co-operation of other Fellows in carrying out this object. 



The Council have taken into consideration the necest>ity of making some 

 alteration in the proceedings at the Meetings, so as to avoid tbeir being 

 protracted to the late hour that has lately been rendered necessary by the 

 pressure of business to be disposed of, and they think that a sufficient 

 remedy will be found in providing that Papers shall not be read in cxtenso, 

 except in special cases. They hope that by this means it may be f(jund 

 l)ossible to conclude the business by half-past nine, leaving a longer period 

 for tea and coffee, conversation and the examination of the objects exhibited. 



Association of kindred Societies. 



A suggestion has been made to the Council that some plan should bo 

 devised by which other Societies founded for kindred objects sliould bo 

 brought into association with this Society. It would not of course be possible 

 to provide that the Members of other Societies should ipso facto be entitled 

 to the privileges of Fellows, but the Council propose that the Presidents f<jr 

 the time being of such kindred Societies at home or abrcjad as the Council 

 may from time to time recommend, and the Fellows at an Ordinary or 

 Annual Meeting approve, shall be ex-officio Fellows, being entitled to 

 receive the ' Journal ' on behalf of their Societies, and to exercise all other 

 privileges of Fellows except voting. The Council do not projjose that this 

 should be limited to those bodies which include in their title the term 

 "Microscopical" (a term which, as applied to Societies mainly devoted to 

 Biological and Histological investigations, has now lost most of its original 

 import), but should include all whose principal object is Biological liesearch 

 in any of its branches. 



An amendment of the Bye-iaws will be proposed at the Meeting to 

 enable this to be carried into effect. 



Quelcett Fund. 



The Coimcil have turned their attention to the disposal of the Quekett 

 Fund, which has now accumulated at interest for some years until it 

 amounts (taking the cash value) to upwards of 180Z. 



The Council have determined to recommend to the Annual Meeting that 

 a sum shall be aj^plied in the purchase of books (not reducing the fund 

 below lOi/Z.), the balance being invested, and the income of the investments 

 expended annually for a similar purjiose, the books to bear an inscri2)tion 

 indicating the source from which they were purchased. The Council 

 consider that in this way the Fund will be applied in the most suitable 

 manner, as regards utility to the Fellows and the perpetuation of the 

 niemorv of the President, in whose honour it was formed. 



