PEOCEEDINGS FOE 1888. Ill 



We are happy to be able to state that the Government of Canada have placed this year in the 

 regular estimates the amount of money wiiich had been so generously conti-ibuted by Parliament 

 towai-ds the publication of the Tiansactions of the Society. This is so much evidence that the work 

 of the Society is appreciated and that it must henceforth take a permanent place among the 

 regularly established institutions of this country. The members of the Society should therefore 

 recognise the necessity of continuing their etlorts to add to the value of an institution which has been 

 established undei- such favourable auspices and has such large opportunities before it for promoting the 

 intellectual development of Canada, and making its material and scientific capabilities better known 

 in other countries of the world. 



The Honorary Secretarj' communicated to M. Alphonse LeEoy, Professor of Philosophy at the 

 University of Liège, the fact that he had been unanimously elected Corresponding Member of the 

 Eoyal Society. M. LeEoy has sent the following reply: — 



-Liège, le 29 octobre 1887. 

 A Momieur J. G. Bourinot, secretaire honoraire de la Société Royale du Canada : — 



MoNSiEOR, — Je reçois à, l'instant même votre honorée letti'e du 12 de ce mois, m'annonçant que 

 la Société Eoyale du Canada, dans sa dernière séance, a bien voulu m'inscriro eur la liste de ses 

 membres correspondants. 



Je suis extrêmement flatté de cette marque de haute bienveillance ; je me sens tier d'appartenir à 

 un corps savant qui a pris rang, dès sa création, parmi les compagnies académiques les plus distinguées. 



Vous me mandez que mon élection a eu lieu à l'unanimité des suffrages; ma dette de reconnais- 

 sance en est doublée. J'ose vous prier de vous faire, auprès de vos éminents confrères, l'interprète de 

 mes sentiments. 



J'ai bien peu de titres à une pareille faveur; le principal est le vif intérêt que je porte à votre 

 noble patrie, aux vaillants promoteurs de la renaissance et de ses progrès dans tous les domaines. 



Puisse-t-il m'être donné de justifier tant de confiance, en saisissant toutes les occasions de me rendre 

 utile à la Société, peut-être même en prenant une part modeste à ses travaux. 



En attendant, je vous adresse. Monsieur, avec l'expression de ma gratitude, 1 hommage de ma 

 plus haute considération et de mon dévouement bien sincère. 



Votre très humble serviteur, 



Alphonse LeEoy, 

 professeur de philosophie à l'université de Liège. 



The Council have printed in English and Fiench the Constitution and Eules in a convenient form 

 for circulation among members and others interested in the work of the Society. 



The Transactions continue to be sent regularly to the members of the Senate and House of 

 Commons, governments, libraries and all public institutions of note in America and Europe. It is 

 satisfactory to know from the requests that are constantly made for exchanges by the societies which 

 have been overlooked in the annual distribution that the work of the Society is appi'eciated abroad 

 ami must sooner or later bear good fruit. The Society is in frequent receijit of gifts of works 

 which are duly acknowledged by the Honorary Secretary. Amongst those recently received were two 

 important works by Dr. T. Sterry Hunt on Mineral Phj'siology and Phj^siography, and a New Basis 

 for Chemistry. The number of volumes and pamphlets which liave accumulated in the course of 

 years in the offices of the Secretary is now necessarily very large, and would be still larger if the 

 Society had accommodation for a library for the use of its own members and all other persons engaged 

 in scientific and historical investigations. The Council must again dii-ect special attention to the 



