II EOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA, 



The foUoM'ing Eeport of the Printing Committee, so appointed, has been made to the Council ;^ 



" The Chairman of the Printing Committee reports that, in accordance with the instructions 

 received from the Council, this Committee secured a publisher and made all necessary arrangements 

 for the publication in proper shape of the first volume of Proceedings and Transactions of the Society. 

 Of this volume of 750 pages, Quarto, with numerous illustrations, an edition of 1,500 copies was 

 published and has already, within the jiast few weeks, been in the hands of the fellows of the Society 

 ftnd those other persons in the Dominion who, by our Constitution, were entitled to receive it. 



"A large list of Academies, Libraries and Universities in foreign coimtries, to whom the volume 

 is also to be sent, has been prepared by the Committee and its distribution to these is in progress and 

 will be completed within the next month. The accompanj-ing letter from the publishers, Messrs. 

 Dawson Bros, of Montreal, will give many details with regard to the arrangements for distribution. 

 Accompanj'ing it will also be found a full statement of expenditures on behalf of the publication up 

 to this time. 



" In view of certain difficulties which arose with regard to the printing, on account of the absence 

 of authors, and other irregularities, the Committee on publication have deemed it proper to recom- 

 mend a few simple rules for the future guidance alike of authors and publishers, which will be 

 submitted for the approval of the Society." 



The letter to which allusion is made in the above Eeport is subjoined : — 



Montreal, May Utli, 1884. 

 To the Chairman of the Printing Committee, Royal Society of Canada. 



Dear Sir, 



We beg to report that we have distributed the volumes of Transactions, as per memorandum 

 attached hei-eto. The delivery by the Secretai-y covered all the list of members at Ottawa, and 

 also the list of members of Parliament. The total number so disposed of amounts to VU copies, 

 leaving at the disposal of the Society, 789 ; covering the whole edition of 1,500. 



The volumes for British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Manitoba, went oft' last week only. The 

 two latter waited the opening of navigation and all waited more favourable rates for freight. The other 

 volumes were delivered by our own correspondents at the chief cities, thus enabling us to forward 

 cases in bulk by freight lines and save express rates on separate packages. 



We have now the list prepared by you for Foreign Societies. This would require, with some 

 names added since, about 580 copies ; so that, when all are sent off, about 200 copies will remain 

 in the Society's hands. We would suggest that these be put into the custody of the Society's officers 

 at Ottawa for careful preservation in future years. 



We have received a letter from the Secretary of the Ti-oasury of the United States permitting 

 the Transactions to enter that country free of duty. Although, in the strict terms of the United States 

 tariff, that was allowable, yet the regulations of the Department were so framed as to prevent it. 

 These regulations have been relaxed in respect of all those Societies, to whom it is desirable that the 

 book should be sent. 



We can arrange, through our own correspondents at London, Edinburgh, Paris, Antwerp, Leij)zig, 

 and Vienna, for delivery in those cities. By this means the lowest rates of freight in bulk can be 

 obtained. In the list we send with this, the express rates to the various towns in the United States 

 can be seen and the expense ascertained with exactness. 



The bill attached includes some items for boxing on copies sent out and cash disbursements fox' 

 postage and freight down to date. 



Yours truly, 



Dawson Bros. 



