XI 



and Mr. Joseph Pryor had subscribed to our funds for many 

 years ; and Mr. John Eule had also contributed donations to the 

 Museum. Major-General Jenkins, the intelligence of whose death 

 reached England only a short time ago, had been for a long series 

 of years one of the warmest and most liberal friends of this In- 

 stitution ; and the office he long held, of Superintendent of Assam, 

 furnished him with ample means for carrying out his kind inten- 

 tions. His name appears as a donor to our funds and Museum, 

 in a large proportion of the Annual Eeports. As among the 

 more conspicuous instances of his bounty may be noted : — his 

 guarantee, in 1844, of a salary to the Curator for assisting in 

 collecting materials for the Parochial History and Statistics of 

 Cornwall; his Premium of £10, in 1846, for a Collection of 

 Coleopterous Insects ; his contribution, in 1848, to the salary of 

 the Assistant Secretary; and his present, in 1849, of a Collection 

 of Coleopterous Insects from India. A somewhat fuller notice of 

 his life and character has been inserted in the Journal of this In- 

 stitution, in testimony of our obligations to him. 



It will be in your recollection that, on his acceptance of the 

 office of President last year, Mr. Smirke expressly stipulated that 

 he should be released from his duties at this time. He has, how- 

 ever, kindly consented to be nominated for the Chair to-day ; and 

 your Council are fully satisfied that you will gladly avail your- 

 selves of that permission. 



Dr. Barham stated that several communications had been re- 

 ceived for this Meeting, and the Council had considered it desirable 

 that they should be now read. For many years it was the practice 

 of the Institution to have y but one meeting in the year — that 

 in the Autumn, for reception of Papers. When the Spring 

 Meeting was established, invitations to persons having communi- 

 cations to make, were confined to that Meeting; but still, 

 there was never any rule for the exclusion of communications 

 from the Autumn Meeting; though its main purpose was the 

 transaction of the Society's business. Communications for the 

 Institution had however increased ; and it was believed that there 

 would be abundant material for the two meetings; and, conse- 

 quently, they would be invited for the Autumn, as well as for the 

 Spring Meeting ; and it was hoped that at each of those meetings, 

 the Institution would be honoured by the presence of Ladies. On 

 this occasion. Ladies had absented themselves, under the misap- 

 prehension that their presence was not desired at what they 

 supposed would be a meeting for merely business purposes. 



