BELFAST MUSEUM. 
THE annual meeting of shareholders, in pursuance of 
advertisement in the public prints, took place at two 
o’clock on the afternoon of Wednesday, the Ist of June, 
1870, at the Museum in College Square North. 
The outgoing President of the Natural History and 
Philosophical Society, Dr. Wyville Thomson, occupied 
the chair, 
The annual report by the Council was read by one of 
the honorary secretaries, Dr. Henry Burden, and is as 
follows :— 
REPORT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE BELFAST NATURAL HIS- 
TORY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY FOR THE SESSION 
1869-70, TO THE SHAREHOLDERS OF THE BELFAST 
MUSEUM, 
A retrospect of the series of events which have 
marked the progress of your Society during the past 
year will, your council trust, prove as satisfactory and 
encouraging te you as it has already done to themselves, 
In the report of last year it was intimated that, in com- 
pliance with the widely expressed desire of both kodies, 
the winter meetings of the Naturalists’ Field Club and 
of your own Society would be held conjointly during 
the session 1869-70, The plan then proposed was ac- 
ngly carried out, and has been successful beyond 
expectation, The joint meetings have been largely at- 
tended, and papers of a varied and highly interesting 
character read at them, Subjoined will be found a 
list showing the dates of meetings, the subjects of 
pers, and the names of their authors— 
-—10th Nov., 1869—Dr. W. Thomson, F.R,S,—‘‘Onthe 
aims of Natural History Societies, and the uses 
of Local Museums,” 
2,—17th Nov.—Professor J. Thomson, C,E,—‘‘ The 
jointed prismatic structure of the Giant’s Cause- 
way and other basaltic rocks,” 
