II.— STATEMENT OF PROCEEDIXGS. 



The Tre;isuroi-'s Statement for the past year shows at the credit of 

 the Society the sum of £42 8s lOd, the largest balance which the Society 

 has ever possessed at the conclusion of a Session. 



There has also been an increase in the Member.ship, the number on 

 the roll being 192 or 38 more than last year. The number of tickets 

 issued tor ladies and youths was 167, being 43 more than were issued 

 during last Session. 



The following Lectures and Papers were read during the Session : — 



Subjects in Science. — ''Colour," by Prof essor George Forbes, B.A.. 

 F.R.S.E. "The Different Modes of Circulation in the Animal and Vege- 

 table Kingdom. "The Different diodes of Respiring in the Animal and Vege- 

 table Kingdoms," (two lectures), by Dr A. M. Buchanan, A.M. '' Corals : 

 their Formation and Distribution," by ]\Ir James Thomson, F G.S., CM R., 

 S.L " Thermo-ekctricity," by Professor Tait, M.A. '' Engineering." 

 by Mr Walter Robert Kinipple, C.E. " The Principles of the Positive 

 Philosophy," by Professor John Veitch, M A. " The Economics of John 

 Ruskin," by Professor W. B. Hodgson, L L.D. 



In Tkavei., Histoky, and Art. — " The Finding of Livingstone, 

 by Mr Henry M Stanley. " Recent Explorations in Moab," (two 

 lectures) by the Rev. Canon Tristram, L.L.D., F.R.S. " Ancieat 

 Thebes : its Temples and Tombs," by the Rev. John Nelson, D D. " War 

 Songs," by Professor John Nichol. B A. " William Carstairs," by the Rev. 

 E. Herbert Story. " A Recent Visit to some of the Principal Cities' 

 of Europe," by Mr James Miller. " Luxury : its Uses and Abuses," by 

 Mrs Henry Fawcett. 



The material prosperity, before alluded to, is to a considerable extent 

 due to the arrangements which the Society made for having a Lecture from 

 Mr Stanley, the searcher for Dr Livingston. The Lecture, which took 

 place on 26th October last, was delivered in the Town ilall, to an e.xcep- 

 tionally 1 irge audience. 



The Session proper was opened by Professor Forbes, of the Ander- 

 sonian University, Glasgow. The subject of hia paper being " Colour." 



The Watt Lecture, the subject of which was " Thermo-electricity," 

 was delivered by Professor Tait, of Edinburgh. 



Without particularizing other papers, the Committee feel assured 

 that they may safely congratulate themselves and the Society on the 

 conclusion of a Session, which has, in many respects, been an interesting 

 and active one. 



Following out the plan of the two previous years, the Committee 

 determined, besides the oi'dinary Lectures of the Society, to have a Special 

 Course on a given subject, and they were fortunate enough to arrange 

 with Dr John Cah'd for the delivery of Twelve Lectures on the History 

 of Religions. 



The success of these Lectures, which will not be completed till the 

 middle of next month, has been very gratifying, and the Committee feej 

 proud that they have been the means of affording so many, not only of 

 the Members of the Society, but also of the general public, the pleasure 

 of hearing Dr Caird treat exhaustively a subject with which he is so well 

 qualified to deal. 



