62 



forms of animal life with which they are embellished. In 

 later times they have also formed a vehicle for communi- 

 cating to the world the important results obtained from 

 the dissection of animals which have died at the Gardens, 

 and which, since the establishment of the office of Prosector 

 in 1865, have been systematically used for this purpose. 



In connection with the scientific meetings must be men- 

 tioned the Library, the first formation of which is described 

 in the Report of the Council for the year 1837, and which 

 has been steadily growing ever since by donations of books, 

 by exchange of publications with other learned societies, 

 and by judicious annual expenditure of money, to be one 

 of the best-selected, well-arranged, and most accessible 

 collection of works of reference that it is possible for the 

 zoological student to enjoy. Its value has been greatly 

 increased by the publication within the past month of an 

 excellent catalogue, which contains the titles of about 

 6560 publications. 



The most recent addition to the functions that the 

 Society has undertaken with a view to carry out the 

 purposes of its foundation is the publication of an Annual 

 Record of Zoological Literature, containing a summary of 

 the work done by British and Foreign naturalists in the 

 various branches of Zoology in each year, a publication of 

 the utmost value to the working zoologist. Such a Record 

 has been carried on for some years past by a voluntary 

 association of Naturalists, but, owing to the difficulties met 

 with in obtaining sufiicient support, it was in danger of 

 being abandoned, until the Council, after the full considera- 

 tion which the importance of the subject deserved, resolved 

 to take it in hand as part of the operations of the Society. 

 The Society has, however, not only been mindful of 

 advancing scientific knowledge — it has also endeavoured 

 to spread some of this knowledge in a popular manner by 

 means of lectures. In former years these were only given 

 in an occasional manner ; but the liberal bequest of Mr. 

 Alfred Davis to the Society in 1870 has enabled the Council 

 to undertake a more regular and systematic method of 

 instruction ; and the Fellows and others have had every 

 summer for several years past the opportunity of hearing 

 many of our most eminent naturalists and able expositors 

 upon subjects which they have made especially their own. 

 I must, however, confess that the interest taken by the 

 Society generally in these lectures has not quite equalled 



