254 Annual Report of the Council. 



year has increased. The Library now includes an almost 

 unique collection of the printed issues of foreign Societies, 

 and, amongst other works recently added, contains 43 

 volumes of " Reports on the Scientific Results of the 

 Exploring Voyage of H.M.S. Challenger." Authors' 

 presentation copies have been received from Professor 

 Cayley, " Collected Mathematical Papers " ; Professor 

 Prestwich, " Geology, Chemical, Physical, and Strati- 

 graphical " ; Professor G. G. Stokes, " Mathematical and 

 Physical Papers"; The Council of the Royal Society, "The 

 Eruption of Krakatoa and subsequent phenomena," and 

 also the following : — " Verdeeling Der Warmte over de 

 Aarde," by C. H. D. Buys Ballot ; " Notes, &c., Sur 

 L'Histoire Generale des Pays-Bas," by C. Paillard ; 

 " Tripolitania Cirenaica E. Fezzan," by F. Borsari ; 

 " Memoir on The Winds and Monsoons of the Arabian Sea 

 and North Indian Ocean," by W. L. Dallas ; " Report on 

 the Royal Observatory, Edinburgh," and " The Edinburgh 

 Equatorial in 1887," papers by C. P. Smyth; "The Cause 

 of Electricity, with remarks on Chemical Equivalents," 

 " The Cause of Light," " The Planets upon Ccerdioides," by 

 G. T. Carruthers, M.A. ; " Eskimo of Hudson's Strait," by 

 F. F. Payne; "Treatise on Chemistry," Vol. III., Part 5, 

 by Sir H. E. Roscoe and C. Schorlemmer. These have 

 been duly acknowledged. 



Influenced by the example of the Royal, Linnean, and 

 other learned Societies, the Council decided during the past 

 session to arrange for a conversazione in the Society's 

 house, in order to exhibit some of the more interesting 

 memorials in the Society's possession, and to illustrate the 

 work of past and present members. A doubt having been 

 expressed as to whether the Council would be justified in 

 utilising the funds of the Society for this purpose without 

 a special resolution from the members, and it being con- 

 sidered undesirable, taking into account the experimental 



