xxxii PROCEEDINGS. 



has paid a life composition fee. Five gentlemen out of the fifteen 

 have not yet paid their first fee, and therefore are not entitled to the 

 full privileges of membership. The roll-book at present bears the names 

 of 126 members. This list, however, much needs revision. Several of 

 he gentlemen named therein have neither cancelled their arrears nor 

 even shown interest in the work of the Society by attending its monthly 

 meetings. Owing to this lack of revision, our Proceedings and Trans- 

 actions are furnished gratis to some who in no way advance the objects 

 for which the Institute was formed. 



During the session of 1894-5, the full number of eight meetings 

 was held, the annual business meeting taking place, for the sake of con- 

 venience, on the same date as that of the first monthly one. Eighteen 

 papers were presented at these meetings. They may roughly be classed 

 under the following heads : presidential address, 1 ; archaeology, 1 ; 

 phenology, 1 ; zoology, 2 ; geology, 6 ; botany and horticulture, 2 ; 

 chemistry, 1 ; astronomy, 1 ; mechanics, 2. These papers were con- 

 tributed by fourteen persons, that is to say only about eleven per cent, 

 of the members laid work before the Society. This is a decrease from 

 the previous session of 1893-94, when twenty-two papers were pre- 

 sented by eighteen persons, or sixteen and a half per cent, of the list 

 of members as it then stood (about 109). Of the one hundred and 

 twenty-six living members, I find that thirty -two (or nearly twenty-six 

 per cent.) have at some time contributed one or more papers. Several 

 of these, however, have furnished nothing for many years. At the 

 present time, only about eighteen members can be spoken of as 

 representing the working force of the Institute. There are many, 

 however, who could easily prepare papers, but they have not yet 

 done so. 



Several branches of our natural history have, so far, been entirely 

 neglected ; but it is to be hoped that these will be worked up before 

 many years. Several entomological orders offer a tempting field in this 

 respect. 



The attendance at the monthly meetings of the society probably 

 averages about twenty-two. Large meetings cannot, of course, be 

 expected when the results of special research are being presented. Popu- 

 lar papers are more attractive to the public; but, on the other hand, 

 are less acceptable for publication. A larger attendance of teachers 



