Annual Rejjort. !^1 



on the part of a great majority of its members. We are Jiof 

 confined moreover to the resources iVirnished by its merab?.rs^ 

 but having undertaken the purpose of collecting ad 'iiru' ; j 

 information, there is open to us whatever is elicited by the 

 strugghng and emulative intellect of civilized nations. The 

 correspondence of the Institution itself affords matter of con- 

 siderable value, and the journals which are accessible here 

 enable us to keep within distinct vision the whole advancing 

 outline of human progress ; but from the indications of past 

 years it would seem that the present arrangements of the In- 

 stitution do not suit the state of the community in which it 

 seeks to act. The Council is at a loss to indicate a remedy. 

 Perhaps the regulation enjoining monthly meetings may ad- 

 vantageously be altered or provisionally suspended, for it is in 

 vain to expect that any agency will continue to make prepa- 

 ration for an event of which the occurrence is, to sav the least, 

 so very problematical as is the attendance generally of mem- 

 bers at a monthly meeting. No one can in reason suppose 

 that the Council, as actinsj for (he Institution and representing 

 the members, are to care much about matters for which their 

 constituents care little. 



The second object of the Association offers a more enr 

 couraging result. The Museum continues its progress of 

 augmentation, both by extensive donations from Members, and 

 by the funds at the disposal of the Council ; and as far as 

 the Council can ascertain, the number of members frequenting 

 it, or of strangers coming to examine it, is considerable. 



The Council thought it advisable, for a special purpose .to be 

 described afterwards, that the S. A. Quarterly Journal should 

 be revived in an altered form, and one year of it has rearly 

 been completed. 



The transactions of the Institution during the past year have 

 been of the following tenor : 



I. In regard to Natural History : 



Dr. Smith proposed, and has partly carried into effect, the 

 preparation of a Synopsis of the Zoology of Africa. His ab- 

 sence in charge of the Expedition proceeding into the central 

 regions of the Continent, has necessarily interrupted this un- 

 dertaking, but the material left by bim will serve to complete 

 the Journal for the present year. The Council recommends 

 that measures for continuing that work thus far, be kept in 

 view These outlines of Zoology cannot fail to be of high in- 

 terest everywhere, from the number of species contained ir> 

 them which are now first described, and from the light th.-y 

 throw on the general arrangements of that science : but in this 

 country especially ought they to be prized, for if ever that 

 science, which is among the most useful, be studied by colonial 

 inquirers, or whenever the poj)ulation comes, as it is to b,e 



