PROCEEDINGS 
OF 
THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON. 
Vor. III. : 1839. No. 61. 
AT THE 
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING, 
15th February, 1839, 
The following Report from the Council was read :— 
The Council have again the satisfaction of congratulating the 
Society on the increased number of its Fellows, and of stating that 
the number of its members now amounts to 831, thereby not only 
proving the prosperity of the Society, but showing that the interest 
taken by the public in Geological Researches continues undiminished 
and unabated. The number of Fellows at the close of 1837 was, 
according to the annual report, 738; but in consequence of errors 
which had crept into the returns of former years, the real number 
of Fellows at the close of 1837 (exclusive of Honorary and Foreign 
Members, and Personages of Royal Blood,) was only 731. During 
the year 1838, 31 Fellows were elected and admitted, besides 5 
more who had not paid their admission fees at the close of the year 
During the same period there were 16 deaths and 4 resignations, the 
number of Fellows therefore increased from 731 to 742, but that of 
Honorary Members was reduced from 41 to 37, and that of Foreign 
Members from 53 to 49. In consequence of these alterations the 
total number of Members, as compared with the returns of last year, 
appears to be reduced from 837 to 831 ; whereas, owing to the cir- 
cumstances mentioned above, there is really an increase from 828 to 
831. 
It was stated in the Report of last year, that the Council consi- 
dered it desirable, that the laborious and difficult duty of cataloguing 
and arranging the collections should devolve upon an officer whose 
time should be given to that single object ; but that there was great 
difficulty in finding any one with the necessary qualifications willing 
to undertake the office. Since that period, a Curator was ap- 
pointed, a gentleman in every way competent to the office; and the 
Council hoped, that under Mr. Wood’s care the arrangement and ca- 
taloguing of the collections would have been rapidly carried on, in a 
manner no less satisfactory to the wishes of the Members than advan- 
VOL, III. KE 
