10 



to Egyptian officers, and other expenses connected with the 

 Hippopotamus, for which the Society were indebted to the 

 Hon. C. A. Murraj'. 



The Report of the Council on this branch of the Society's 

 affairs cannot be concluded without recording their thanks to 

 the Committees of Audit and Finance for the uniform atten- 

 tion and care with which they have applied themselves to the 

 business which has been brought before them. 



II. SCIENTIFIC DEPARTMENT. 

 a. Publications. 



The Proceedings for the year 1849 contain an unusual 

 quantity of valuable papers, which have been illustrated in a 

 series of twenty-seven plates, exclusive of woodcuts embodied 

 in the text. The immediate result of this new form of the 

 Society's Journal has been a considerable increase in its cir- 

 culation, and the accession of several valuable names to the 

 ■ list of contributors in the current year. The cheap rate at 

 which this work is issued to the Fellows Avill, it is hoped, in 

 combination with the excellence of the plates, ensure a still 

 moi'e extensive support as its merits become known. 



The First Part of the Fourth Volume of the Transactions 

 is in preparation, and will contain a paper by Professor Owen, 

 in continuation of his previous researches on the Extinct 

 Gigantic Wingless Birds of New Zealand, and a paper by 

 PfOfessDr Van der Hoeven on the Pearly Nautilus. 



h. Museum. 



The additions to the Collection of mounted specimens are 

 limited to such rare species as have died in the Menagerie, 

 and had no previous representatives in the Museum. Many 

 duplicates have been presented to the cognate provincial In- 

 stitutions of Norwich, IpsM'ich, Dover, Worcester, &c., which, 

 without impairing the value of the Society's accumulated 

 stores, have, it is hoped, afforded some proof of sympathy with 

 the movement in favour of Natural Science, which is in rapid 

 development throughout the country. 



