40 Address. [Feb. 



from the heavy expenditure of the previous year. We have good reason 

 to be proud of the volumes forming our Journal for the past year and 

 they bear the strongest testimony to the energy and industry of the 

 editors and to the recognised value of the Journal as a medium of pub- 

 lishing the work of our members ; but as we were hardly prepared for 

 so heavy an expenditure on plates in bringing out those published during 

 the last two years, coming so soon after the repairs to our building had 

 exhausted our temporary reserve fund, some curtailment in this respect 

 will be necessary to clear off our liabilities on this head. As I remarked 

 last year, the ordinary income is scarcely sufficient to meet our annual 

 requirements, and unless we desire to see our permanent vested fund 

 dwindling steadily down, we must endeavour to keep our expenses well 

 within our income, however much we may regret the necessity, and the 

 consequent limitation of our publications and other useful work. There 

 is no immediate pressure, but in order to guard, if possible, against a con- 

 tingency that seems likely to occur if it is not checked at once, I think it 

 my duty to give this word of warning, and I would very earnestly 

 impress upon our members the necessity of ipcreasing the resources of 

 the Society and of prompt payment of their subscriptions. There is, 

 I am sorry to say, always a very large outstanding on this account which 

 causes great inconveiiience and loss. 



I much regret that an unusually heavy pressure of work in connec- 

 tion with the new Photographic and Lithographic Office buildings 

 and the removal of the offices into them, as well as failing health, 

 which obliged me to take a short change to Europe for three months, 

 have made it impossible for me to devote so much time as I could have 

 wished to the aifairs of the Society, or to do all that I had hoped to 

 have done during my Presidentship. 



I have again to very warmly acknowledge the assistance given me 

 by the office-bearers in carrying on the affairs of the Society and by our 

 late President, Mr. Atkinson, who kindly acted for me during my 

 absence. I would remind you that the valuable services of our officers 

 are given to the Society voluntarily and at the sacrifice of their private 

 time and leisure, and I would ask you for a very hearty vote of thanks 

 to Mr. Wood-Mason, who, as Vice-President, continues to give the 

 Society the benefit of his labours and long experience in editing the 

 Natural History and Physical Science part of the Journal ; to our 

 Honorary Secretaries, Dr. Hoernle, who continues so ably to carry on 

 the work connected with the Philological and Historical part of our 

 Journal, and Mr. Little, the General Secretary and editor of the Proceed- 

 ings ; and to our Treasurer, Dr. W. King. {The vote was passed unani- 

 mously.) I would also say a word in praise of the zeal and industry 

 of Mr. Ronaldson, our Assistant Secretai'y, and of the subordinate staff. 



