Foreword. 9 
pology, entomology, medicine, law, finance, education, sociology, geography, 
commerce and industry have all a place in the pages uf Timehri. 
THe Lrerary. 
The general work of the Society has continued to progress notwithstanding 
the temporary renewal of agricultural depression. Our membership is over 
five hundred, being greater than at any time since the Society 
was founded in 1844. It includes every planter, merchant and official 
of standing in the colony. It is, we believe, the only Royal Society 
in the West Indies and its membership is far ahead of any 
other Society of its class. An attempt is being made to provide shelf- 
room by discarding such of our thirty odd thousand volumes as 
have ceased to be of use or interest. Large purchases of modern 
editions, beginning more especially with the poets and leading novelists, are 
being made to replace those which have become ovt of date or on 
which time or the numberless book-plagues of the latitude have wrought 
their havoc. It is useless to attempt to cultivate a taste for poetry or any other 
branch of literature where the author has to be read ina musty or dishevelled 
volume. However much an early edition or a first issue (and our collection 
contains enough of such to delight the most exacting) may appeal to the 
bibliophile (and of these the colony has few indeed) the treasure leaves 
the homme moyen sensue! quite cold. The progress of renewing will be 
convinued as rapidly as funds allow by the allocation of special votes to 
the Book Committee, which is doing useful work under the chairmanship 
of Rev. Mr. Macnic. Two suggestion books are now at the disposal of 
those who wish to recommend new purchases. The light literature is in 
the hands of a Sub-Committee of ladies. Complaints are promptly dealt 
with. In the nature of things the lighter literature will always attract especial 
attention. We can only appeal to the subscribers to take the matter into their 
own hands by indicating clearly what purchases they desire and by electing to 
the various Committees and Sub-Committees those whom they are convinced 
will best serve the general purpose. In the past a hich standard has been 
maintained and we believe that the present local standard in such matters is 
high enovgh to ensure its continuance. The new catalogue has made consider- 
able progress and wil! soon be in the hands of the printer. The walls of the 
Society's roomy premises now display the most recent maps of the various South 
American countries and all the latest authoritative works on South America, 
the United States, Canada and the West Indies, have been purchased from time 
to time. As the serious periodical literature dealing with those countries 
is also subscribed for, it may be asserted that the Society supplies a complete 
equipment to the administrator or citizen desirous either of studying the his- 
tory or of keeping abreast of the progress of any aspect of the development 
and colonisation of this part of the globe. 
THe Museum. 
Jt will be remembered that the salary of the Curator of the Society’s Museum 
was at one time defrayed by the Government in addition to the annual grant, 
and that substantial special grants were voted from time to time for cases and 
