a 
Transactions. 101 
year, and owing to the arrangements for the new premises being 
under consideration, they were not deposited in the Observatory 
Museum. The donations of books were more numerous. In 
addition to the annual reports or transactions of the following 
Societies—The Smithsonian Institution, New York Academy of 
Sciences, the Peabody Museum, the University of Christiana, the 
Geographical Society of Scotland, Edinburgh Geological Society, 
Glasgow Archeological Society, Glasgow Natural History Society, 
Perthshire Natural History Society, Berwick Natural History 
Society, The Essex Field Club, Huddersfield Natural History 
Society, and the South London Microscopical Society—we 
received nine parts of the Linnean Society’s Transactions from 
Mr Robinson-Douglas, one part of the Microscopical Journal 
and seven parts of the Edinburgh Botanical Society from Dr F. 
Allan, and a number of pamphlets on Archeological subjects 
from Mr G. F. Black. The Society has made an important 
addition to the Library by purchasing Vols. I. and II. of Bain’s 
Calendar of Documents. All these books have been circulated 
among the members, but imperfectly owing to the want of 
proper library accommodation. 
Having thus briefly narrated what has been done in the past, 
let me add a word or two with regard to the future. I expect 
we shall have a sufficient number of communications to fill up the 
ordinary meetings of the ensuing session, and therefore we should 
utilise our rooms by having a course of bi-weekly meetings, or 
lectures, for the benefit of the junior members. We have suffi- 
cient accommodation for specimens of all the local birds and 
fishes, as well as for innumerable beetles, butterflies, and other 
insects. If each member would undertake to add to our collection 
a single specimen, the present empty cases would be well filled by 
our next annual meeting. We would then have a better oppor- 
tunity of studying the lower creation, and learning that— 
‘© In these Thy lowest works, yet these declare 
Thy goodness beyond thought and power divine.” 
This report was cordially adopted, and the Secretary awarded 
a vote of thanks for his honorary services. The Rev. Mr Weir, 
in seconding the motion, expressed on behalf of the Presbytery 
of Dumfries, the satisfaction which that body felt at the altera- 
tions and improvements made by the Society on the Presbytery 
House. 
