n EOYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



Boston Institute of Technology and member of the National Academy of Sciences at Washington, the 

 Acting Secretary read the following 



Report of Council. 



The Council have the honour to submit their tenth annual report. 



In the month of May last the Council appointed the following gentlemen to act as members of 

 the Printing Committee, viz. : — Sir William Dawson, Professor Alex. Johnson, Abbé Verreau, Dr. Fre- 

 chette and Dr. Bourinot. 



The eighth volume of the Transactions has been issued two or three weeks earlier than usual, and 

 is, in some respects, the most interesting that has yet been published. It contains 76 pages more 

 than Vol. 1, 212 more than Vol. 6, and as much as the thickest of the preceding volumes, excepting 

 Vol. 1, which was the report of two sessions' work. The cost of illustrations has been heavier than 

 in any preceding volume excepting Vol. 1. The cost of alterations and corrections has been one- 

 third less than last year, owing to the suggestions made for the guidance of members in last year's 

 report. The regular number of copies has been circulated throughout the Dominion, and the pub- 

 lishers are now despatching the volumes that are annually sent to the United States, Europe and other 

 parts of the world. Arrangements have been completed for circulation in South America, and letters 

 have been already received from that country showing the interest taken in the publications of the 

 Society. At a time when the attention of Canadians is being directed to trade with the West Indies 

 and the Southern Eepublics, it is hoped that the Transactions, containing as they do numerous essays 

 on the natural resources, the governmental institutions, and the history of Canada, will be found of 

 service to the Dominion. 



The accounts for the printing and publication of the Transactions are appended to this Eeport. 

 The Hon. Secretary has also added a summary of the current expenses in connection with the pub- 

 lication of proceedings and the general work of the Society, as he has expressed his wish, in a letter 

 to the President, to retire from his firesent position, which he has held for nearly ten years — in fact, 

 since its provisional organization in December, 1881. 



The Royal Society now occupies an excellent position, and the Hon. Treasurer has also on hand 

 a considerable sum — $426.25 — arising from subscriptions, which the Hon. Secretary has always con- 

 sidered should be kept available for general purposes when the Society is in a position to have suit- 

 able ofiices and a sufficiently paid organization for carrying on its work. 



The Report of Council in 1800 was exceptionally elaborate and contained a good deal of infor- 

 mation with respect to the operations of the Society at home and abroad, and numerous suggestions 

 for the future. As the report has been j)ublished in the Ti-ansactions for 1890, and also in a separate 

 pamphlet, it is probable that members have taken pains to study its contents. Among the recom- 

 mendations that it is hoped will be acted upon sooner or later is one which has been suggested by the 

 Hon. Secretary, with the view of making each annual volume as complete an epitome as jjossible of 

 the literary and scientific work of the Dominion. For the information of Fellows and Delegates, and 

 all others interested in this matter, the recommendation is given again in full : — 



" In addition to giving in the Transactions of the Royal Society an annual review of the work of 

 the various scientific and literary societies of Canada, the Hon. Secretary suggests the publication in 

 each volume of as full a statement as possible of all the books, pamphlets and magazine articles, 

 written every year by Canadian authors, with some special reference to works of more than ordinary 

 merit. Such a statement, it is believed, will add to tjie value of the Transactions both at home and 

 abroad, since it will give some definite details of our intellectual progress, and, at the same time, assist 

 the labours of all those engaged in Canadian studies. In order that this review may be made as per- 

 fect as possible, the members of the Society should take pains to keep the Hon. Secretary fully in- 

 formed of 9,11 books, pamphlets and essays written by themselves, apart from those articles that they 



