7 
undertaking, and by enrolling his name among the Honorary 
Members of the Society, evinced his desire to promote the 
literary advancement of the town. Since that time, additional 
subscriptions have been received ; and the list now amounts to 
£1,445 10s. 6d.; of this sum, £1,404 12s. 6d. has actually 
been collected and paid into the hands of the Treasurer, which 
still leaves a sum of £40 uncollected. As circumstances have 
occurred which may prevent the payment of part of this sum, 
it is probable, that not much above £1,400 of the present sub- 
scription can, with certainty, be calculated upon. Such parts 
of the building as are immediately required, are now comple- 
ted; the total sum expended, including all the incidental ex- 
penses, inseparable from anew undertaking, amounts to £1,900, 
or nearly £2,000, so that a debt of between £500 and £600 
has, on the whole, been incurred. Such is the slight sketch pre- 
pared by the Council, of the origin, progress, and present state 
of the Natural History Society. The future prospect is one on 
which they feel pleasure in dilating, in confidence, that the lib- 
eral and enlightened spirit which has carried them thus far, 
will bear them onward in a prosperous, useful, and honourable 
career. It is most desirable, that their efforts should be un- 
fettered by debt, and that the most scrupulous economy should 
be employed in the expenditure. The latter has been uniformly 
observed, and will, if possible, be even more rigorously attend- 
ed to for the future; with respect to the former, they have 
good ground for sanguine expectations. Many liberal and 
wealthy persons have not yet been applied to for subscrip- 
tions—some have signified their intention of increasing the 
sum originally bestowed, and all seem willing to aid in a 
greater or less degree. Several persons also, anxious to avoid 
burthening the Society with the payment of interest on the 
debt, have proposed that the amount should be lent on deben- 
tures, in small sums, free of interest, until legitimate funds for 
annulling it can be procured. Until this be done, it is intended 
by the Members to hold out the same inducements to Sub- 
seribers which they did at first. The Subscribers of five guineas 
will have the privilege of visiting the collection, and of intro- 
