REPORT 



OF THE 



COUNCIL OF THE RAY SOCIETY, 



READ AT THE SIXTH ANNIVERSARY, 

 HELD AT BIRMINGHAM, SEPT. 17, 1849. 



W. SPENCE, ESQ., F.R.S. F.L.S. &c. 



IN THE CHAIR. 



IN laying before the Members of the RAY SOCIETY the Sixth Annual Report, the 

 Council feel that they have cause for the expression of satisfaction that, whilst so 

 many societies similar to their own have suffered greatly from the loss of subscribers 

 through the general depression of the times, the number of members has but slightly 

 diminished, affording a gratifying proof of the continued interest excited by the 

 publications of this Society. 



From the circumstance of all the works of the Society having been'ready for pub- 

 lication at the early part of the year 1848, and before they had put forth their last 

 Annual Report, the Council has little to add, with regard to the works of the present 

 year, more than was stated in their last Report. They feel it, however, incumbent 

 on them to state to the subscribers the reason of the works not being in so forward 

 a state as in 1848. At the beginning of that year all the works of the Society, viz. 

 the ' Bibliographia Zoologize,' by Professor Agassiz ; the ' Correspondence of John 

 Ray ;' and Part IV of Alder and Hancock, were ready for distribution, and the 

 Council had made themselves liable for the cost of printing, &c. ; whilst at that time 

 not more than a fourth of the subscriptions for 1848 had been paid; and at the 

 time of the publication of their last Report, upwards of 800 was owing to the 

 Society for 1848 and the preceding years. The following passage from the Report 

 of last year expressed the feelings of the Council on this point : 



" Serious inconvenience having arisen to the Council in consequence of the non- 

 payment of the Annual Subscriptions by the Country Members, the Council beg 

 respectfully to remind them that they have no other funds at their disposal for 

 conducting the business of the Society than the ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS PAID IN 

 ADVANCE, and that it will greatly facilitate the speedy issue of their books if 

 payment be made early in the year" 



Although this notice has to some extent caused a more early payment of subscrip- 

 tions, yet the Council have to regret that, at the present moment, a sum exceeding 

 500 is due to them from the country subscribers for subscriptions on the present 

 and past years. 



Under these circumstances the Council have not felt themselves justified in 

 bringing their works out early this year ; they have, however, the satisfaction of 

 stating that a volume of Reports and Papers on Botany is now ready for distribution. 

 This work, which has been translated under the direction, and edited by, Mr, 

 Henfrey, consists of the following papers : 



I Mohl on the Structure of the Palm-stem. 

 II Nageli on Vegetable-cells. 



Ill Nageli on the Utricular Structures in the Contents of Cells. 

 IV Link's Report on Physiological Botany for 1844-45. 

 V Grisebach's Report on Geographical Botany for 1844. 

 VI Grisebach's Report on Geographical and Systematic Botany for 1845. 

 The Council regret that, with one exception now in progress, viz. Dr. Bell Salter's 

 work on the British Rubi, they have not had the offer of any original Botanical work 

 of importance, although they are desirous of giving to Botany a fair proportion of 

 space in their publications. The second volume which the Council intend to issue 

 for this year, and which is now in a state of great forwardness, is Dr. Baird's 

 Entomostracous Crustacea. This work will consist of about 300 pages octavo, and 

 will be illustrated by 25 Lithographic Plates by Mr. Wing, containing drawings of 

 each species. The Council confidently believe that no one of the works published 

 by the Society contains a larger amount of new matter, and on a subject of more 

 interest, than that of this volume, which they hope speedily to publish. 



