44 Anniversary Meeting. [Nov. 30, 



be in the near future, the preparation of the copy for the printer can 

 be speedily proceeded with. Before, however, any final steps can be 

 taken, it will be necessary that the supplement volume ,of the cata- 

 logue should have issued from the press. The preparations for this 

 volume are in active progress. 



A kindred subject, but one of still wider scope, has been discussed 

 by a Special Committee appointed by the Council at their first meet- 

 ing in the present session. The question, namely, of a scientific 

 subject-catalogue, which it is proposed to carry out by means of 

 international co-operation. This Committee, with the sanction of the 

 Council, have addressed a circular letter to scientific societies and in- 

 stitutions in this country and abroad, proposing by way of preliminary 

 suggestions, first, that the Catalogue should commence with the next 

 century; secondly, that a central office or bureau should be main- 

 tained by international contributions; and third, that this office 

 should be supplied with all the information necessary for the con- 

 struction of the Catalogue. The circular invites the views on this 

 subject of scientific bodies and scientific- men, without in any way 

 committing the Society to farther action. A large number of replies 

 to this circular have been received, many of them carefully prepared 

 and able documents. They will be submitted to the new Council of 

 the Royal Society, and will, I am sure, be most valuable in assisting 

 it to judge as to future proceedings. 



The principal question which the Library Committee have had 

 before them during the past session is the accumulation of the stock 

 of ' Philosophical Transactions ' from the beginning of the century to 

 the present time. New racks have been erected in the basement 

 which have partly relieved the pressure on our space, but the Com- 

 mittee recognise the necessity of some active measures being taken to 

 increase the sale of this accumulated stock. They are of opinion that 

 the sale might be much facilitated if the memoirs composing the 

 volumes published in the past were made separately available to the 

 public, as is done with those that are published at the present time. 

 On the advice of the Committee, the Council have empowered the 

 Treasurer to treat with one of the leading booksellers with the view 

 of bringing some such arrangement into effect. 



The collection of marble busts belonging to the Society, which is 

 of such personal and historical interest to all our Fellows, has received 

 most important and valuable accessions. The sons of our former 

 President, Mr. William Spottiswoode Messrs. Hugh and Cyril 

 Spottiswoode have presented to the Society a marble bust of their 

 father, by Woolner, which will find in our apartments a fitting home 

 among the busts of many of our former Presidents and distinguished 

 Fellows, and will hand down to posterity a striking likeness of one 

 who deserved so well of the Society and whose premature decease we 



