2 
years. Three during the year have been removed by death, viz. : 
W. Bateman, Esq., and Messrs. May and Jarvis. During the past 
few weeks, however, of the present year we have also lost the Rev. 
K. Heel. 
I have laid the Balance Sheet for the year on the table ; it shows 
a balance in hand of £15 7s. 10d. The smallness of the sub- 
scriptions is owing to the fact that only one half of them have 
been paid in as yet. 
During the year we have had six meetings, viz. :— : 
Jan. The Annual Meeting when the President gave his usual 
resumé of the progress of Science during the year. 
Fes. When a very interesting paper by H. F. Rutt, Hsq., 
‘On Tails,” was read by the Secretary. : 
Aprm When the President read a paper on Germs. 
The March meeting could not be held in consequence of 
continuous snowstorms, 
May Combined meeting with the Microscopical Society. 
Ocr. Paper by Mr. Kerr on the ‘ Hessian Fly.” 
Nov. Paper by the Secretary on The Natural Order Solanacee. 
All these meetings have been very poorly attended, and. have 
greatly disappointed those who had to prepare papers for them. 
In consequence of a widely spread wish among the members of 
our Society and the Microscopical Society, meetings of the com- 
mittees have been held, and arrangements have been made for the 
amalgamation of the two under the title of the ‘‘ Folkestone 
Natural History and Microscopical Society,” under conditions 
presently to be read to you, and to which your sanction will be 
asked. It will be an advantage to both Societies and will allow 
perhaps a little greater variety in our arrangements. 
The President, Dr. FitzGerald, then read the following paper on 
THE PROGRESS OF ASTRONOMY DURING THE 
LAST FEW YEARS. 
In reviewing the events of the past year, no brilliant invention, 
no absolutely novel discovery can be recorded. Our scientific 
workers have been as diligent as ever, and as regards the quality and 
thoroughness of their work, each year doubtless shows some 
advance. Still, the year 1891 will be memorable for none of those 
startling inventions, which from time to time, have electrified the 
whole civilised world. The progress of science, though sure and 
irresistible as the advance of the in-coming tide, is perhaps better 
estimated by comparing present results with those of fifty, or even 
five-and twenty years ago, than by reviewing the events of any 
given year. More especially is this the case, if we turn to the 
grand science of astronomy. There is, to my mind, no other 
