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COUNCIL'S REPORT FOR 1878. 



The Council have again the pleasure of reporting that the 

 Society continues in a prosperous state, both as regards its 

 finances and the number of its members. It will be seen from 

 the Auditor's Reports, that though the receipts fi'om Subscrip- 

 tions during the year amounted to £06 5s., the balance in the 

 hands of the Treasurer at the close of the year was somewhat 

 smaller than at its commencement. This arises partly from the 

 expenditure of about £12 at the time of the Soiree in the pur- 

 chase of new tables and other articles of furniture which remain 

 the property of the Society, available for use at its future 

 meetings, and partly from the payment of a sum of five guineas 

 as a prize for the best collection of Lepidoptera, awarded under 

 the conditions mentioned in the last annual report. 



There have been elected into the Society, during the past year, 

 18 new Members. Ten Members have resigned, and two have 

 died, viz., Mr. Herbert "Williams, and Mr. John Harding. The 

 last-named gentleman was a member of the Council for many 

 years ; and, prior to the failure of his health, was very regular in 

 his attendance at its meetings, and took an active part in the 

 affairs of the Society ; by his kind and genial natui-e he did 

 much to promote the prosperity of the Society, and won for him- 

 self the respect and esteem of its Members. 



Soiree. 



On the evening of the 13th of May, a Soiree was given liy the 

 President, Vice-Presidents, and Council, to the Members of the 

 Society and their friends, and was very numerously attended. 

 Geological and Entomological Specimens, Microscopes, Photo- 

 graphs, Drawings, and other objects of scientific interest contri- 

 buted by Members of the Society, were exhibited. The pleasures 

 of the evening were much increased by the display of a brilliant 

 series of experiments with the Magnetic Coil, under the direction 

 of Messrs. Field and May, and by the exhibition of Natural 



