ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA. 



PHOCEEDIIN^eS FOK 1885 



FOURTH GENERAL MEETING, MAY, 1S85. 



SKSSION I. (May 26th.) 



The Eoyal Society of Canada held its fourth general meeting in the Railway Committee room, 

 Parliament Buildings, Ottawa, on Tuesday, May 2Cth. The President, Dr. T. Steriy Hunt, took the 

 chair at 11 o'clock, A.M., and formally called the meeting to order. 

 The Honorary Seci-etary tlion i-ead the following 



Report or Councii,. 



The Council have the honour to submit their Annual Report. 



The first volume of the Proceedings and Ti-ansactions, viz., that for the years 1882 and 1883, was 

 duly distributed, and acknowledgments fi'Om the recipients of the same in many foreign countries 

 have been very generally received. The Council have to state, moreover, that several Societies have 

 already sent us exchanges, and that in this wa^- the accumulation of a library of literary and scientific 

 publications by the Society may be e.vpected, for the i-ecc])tion of wliich provision jiiust soon be 

 made. 



The publication of the secontl volume of Proceedings and Transactions, viz., that for the yeai' 

 1884, was entrusted by the Council to a Committee consisting of Dr. T. Stcrry Hunt, Chairman, Sir 

 J. William Dawson, Dr. Louis Frechette, Rev. .T. Clark Muri-ay, and Di-. Alo.v. Johnson, Secretary, 

 The report of this committee is subjoined : — 



" The Publication Committee have to rej)ort that the work of publication was by them entrusted 

 to Messrs. Dawson Brothers of Monti'eal, who had already published and distributed Volume I in a 

 very satisfactory manner, and have now issued Volume II, which has already been distributed 

 throughout the Dominion, and in the next few weeks will be sent to foreign countries. As regards 

 the work of editing, an important task for a volume of this kind, the publishers, with the approval of 

 your Committee, made arrangements for the English jjait with Mr. R. W. Boodle of Monti-eal, a 

 gentleman favourably known for his accuracy and critical scholarship, while, as j'egards the French, 

 they were so fortunate as to secure the services of their colleague. Dr. Louis Frechette. They have 

 every reason to congratulate themselves on the ability and the care with which these gentlemen have 

 performed a task, by no means easy, since in the publication of scientific papers, especially such as 

 are found in Sections II, III and IV, there are many details as to letters, titles, propei' names, etc., to 

 learn the right use of which it was necessary to study carefully the best ami llic latest authorities. 



Pro. 188.5. A. 



