Ixxv 



publishing power lias risen and fallen. Tlie first five volumes of 

 the ' Transactions ' extended over sixteen years, and during that 

 period we published on an average fifteen memoirs per annum ; 

 the second series occupied twelve years, with an annual average 

 of twelve memoirs ; the third series appeared in six years, at an 

 average of eighteen memoirs a year ; and since tlie annual 

 volumes have superseded the series, the yearl}' average of 

 papers published has been twenty-two, say a couple of papers 

 read at each successive meeting. In forty-six years the Society 

 has printed 7G3 memoirs, illustrated by 437 plates, of which 189 

 are coloured. These memoirs vary in length from two or three 

 pages to two or three hundred, and even to a whole volume: of 

 course mere length is no criterion of their value or importance ; 

 they should be weighed, not measured ; but taking one with 

 another over the whole period of the Societj'-'s existence, this 

 gives an average of neaily seventeen papers and ten plates a year. 

 Our income available for publishing purposes, even of late years, 

 has not exceeded a couple of hundred pounds, and even this is 

 uncertain and precarious. I think it may be fairly said that the 

 Society has made pretty good use of its slender means ; and I am 

 sure I may say that the slender means at the disposal of the 

 Council are the only reason why the Society has not done more. 

 At every turn we have been hampered for want of funds ; the 

 Treasurer has been at his wit's end to make ends meet. When a 

 monograph is presented, and illustrations are required, instead 

 of being able to confine our attention to the question, " Is it 

 worthy of publication, will it do credit to the Society ?" a second 

 question lurks behind, " Can we afford it ?" How is this to be 

 avoided ? The Society ought not to be a casual pauper, dependent 

 on accidental or eleemosynary support. It ought to be self- 

 supporting ; and there are only two ways of accomplishing this. 

 We must either limit our usefulness to the extent of our income, 

 or we must increase our income to the extent of our requirements. 

 The former alternative is inadmissible unless the latter be 

 impossible. The latter is impossible unless we do one of two 

 things. Either the subscription must be increased or the 

 number of subscribers must be increased. There is no Society 

 in this country, at all comparable with our own, which levies so 

 small an annual contribution ; and if every member received the 

 Transactions without further payment, as I should like to see, it 



