42 



tion in the price of stock from £2410 (the calculated value last 

 year) to £2544. The number of existing compounders at the close 

 of 1842 was 118, and th« antrbtint of compositions received from them 

 in lieu of Annual Contributions was £3717, making a difference of 

 only £1173 between the amount received from existing compounders 

 and the value of the funded property. 



The' Council have furelia:-;. to announce, that the Second Part of 

 Vol. II. of the Transactions has been published during the past year, 

 and that the Third Vol. of the Proceedings has been completed. 

 The Index to the latter is printed^ and will be ready for publication 

 in a few days. 



It is with much regret that the Council have to announce the re- 

 tirement of Mr. Lonsdale, w^ho has been compelled during the last year, 

 by the state of his health, to resign his office of Curator to the So- 

 ciety. It is unnecessary for the Council here to enlarge on the se- 

 rious loss which the Society has in<k.irred by this' event, but they are 

 unwilling to forgo this opportunity of testifying the high opinion 

 they entertain of his valuable services and great scientific merits. 

 In recording the election of his successor, the Council cannot omit 

 to congratulate the Society on having secured the services of such a 

 distinguished Naturalist as Mr. E. Forbes. 



In consequence of events which occurred during the last year, the 

 Council have found it necessary to change their Collector of Annual 

 Contributions, and have to announce that Mr. H. T. Woodfall has 

 been appointed in the room of Mr. J. W. Hamond. 



The Council have resolved that a WoUaston Gold Medal be pre- 

 sented to M. Pierre Armand, Dufrenoy, Inspector of the School of 

 Mines, and another to M. Elie de Beaumont, Professor of Natural 

 History in the College of France, both Members of the Institute, 

 and Foreign Associates of the Society, for their contributions to the 

 ad vancement of Geological Science, more especially for their joint 

 w ork, the Geological Map of France, and the Memoirs that accom- 

 pany it ; and that the sum of £1 1. Os. lie/., the balance of the Annual 

 Proceeds of the Fund, be granted to Mr. Morris, to assist him in his 

 intended publication of a tabular view of British Organic Remains. 



Report of \MuseMfi Cd?Mm#^e,l&4'3. 



It has befell the duty of former; Musieara. Committees to report to 

 the Council on the additions and general progress in arrange- 

 ment, which may have been made in the Society's collections during 

 the intervals between the Annual General Meetings ; but these 

 duties have in the present instance been somewhat lightened, owing 

 to the limited time which elapsed between the unusually full exa- 

 mination made by your last Committee and Mr. Lonsdale's retirement; 

 since which the Museum has remained^ with the following exception s, 

 in the state in which the' energy, zeal and admirable method of your 

 late Cu?rator placed it. ,,;!.■ m.,. ■■■. ;. 



The Minute of the Council of the 6th of, December, 1841, has 

 been partly carried into effect : four boxes of rock specimens from 



