, 618 

 EDITORIAL. 



Since our last editorial notes were written there has been considerable cor- 

 respondence between various members and the Honorary Secretary on the 

 subject of the terms on which the Society was prepared to move a large portion 

 of its Museum collections over to the Prince of Wales Museum. From letters 

 received it is evident that the Honorary Secretary's circular, dated 17th August 

 1920, asking members to say whether they agreed or not to the revised proposals, 

 did not make it plain that whatever part of the Society's Collections was placed 

 in the Prince of Wales' Museum, such would be the property of the Museum 

 Trustees for so long as the Trustees Avere able to maintain the Natural History 

 Section of the Museum and no longer. The Trustees' funds are, so far at 

 least as the Natural History Section is concerned, to be obtained almost entirely 

 from Government and since Government are unable to pledge themselves for 

 the future as regards finance, the Committee naturally felt that they must 

 guard themselves against the risk — however slight that risk might be — of seeing 

 valued collections presented to the Museum by the Society, neglected and 

 allowed to deteriorate because of want of sufficient funds. What would happen 

 if money were not forthcoming every year for the maintenance of the Natural 

 History Section is not pleasant to contemplate. Exhibits would have been 

 mounted and displayed in such a way that it would be an utter impossibihty to 

 get them back into the present rooms of the Society, and even if accommodation 

 of a suitable nature could be found — the Society could, never find the money 

 for the rent. There is however no need to labour this point. The Natural 

 History Section of the Prince of Wales Museum will be the most popular section 

 of the Museum and it may be regarded as certain that whatever portion of the 

 Museum has to be closed for want of funds it will not be the Natural 

 History Section. 



Another point which wants making clear is that, until an actual Natural 

 History Museum has been built, the reference collections of the Society will 

 remain in their present quarters. The accommodation placed at the Society's 

 disposal in the existing Museum building -will be barely sufficient for displayed 

 exhibits. 



It is apparent that the question of finance enters very largely into the arrange- 

 ments for the future. The removal of part of the Society's collection, the pay- 

 ment of subordinates working in the Museum, and the part payment of the 

 Curator and Assistant Curator, will undoubtedly reheve the Society of a great 

 deal of expense but this expense is of a nature which the Society should have 

 incurred rather than did incur. It will not reduce the Society's expenditure 

 on the Museum side by much, and the Society's expenses in other directions, such 

 as Library, Clerical staff and Journal, will considerably increase. The " Times 

 Press " have notified us that they must increase their charges for printing 

 the Journal, and this being the case the committee and members will have 

 to decide on one of two courses. Must the Journal be cut down in size so that 

 the amount spent on it at the higher scale will be no more than at the lower ? 

 Or must the Society's income be increased to meet the extra cost ? As regards 

 the former the Journal is already too small for the mass of material placed at our 

 disposal and which it is our duty in the interests of science and of our members 

 to pubhsh. The length of time which elapses between the receipt of MS. and 

 the publication of MS. is a serious drawback and this is intensified in the case 

 of serials which on account of their length have to be spread over many numbers. 

 The strike in the "Times Press" and the disorganisation which resulted therefrom 

 has delayed the issue of the Journal very considerably and this is greatly 

 to be regretted. Firstly, because of the delay in issuing to members^ papers 

 long waited for, secondly, because it was particularly desirable that members 

 just at this time should receive their Journals regularly, To many members 



