PEOCEEDINGS OF THE SOCIETY. 355 



Mr. A. D. Michael thouglit they could hardly separate without passing 

 a very hearty vote of thanks to their Secretaries for their very laborious 

 and efficient services rendered to the Society during the past year, services 

 which were so well known and appreciated that he was quite sure that such 

 a proposition needed no recommendation from him. 



The President said it gave him great pleasure to second this proposal. 

 "When they considered all the work which was done, as well as the very 

 efficient way in which it was done, there could be no doubt as to their 

 great indebtedness to the Secretaries for their services. 



The motion was then pat to the meeting and carried by acclamation. 



Prof. Bell returned thanks on behalf of himself and Mr. Crisp. 



New Fellows : — The following were elected Ordinary Fellows : — 

 Eev. George SouthaU, and Miss E. C. Jelly. Mr. P. H. Gosse, F.R.S., was 

 elected an Honorary Fellow. 



EEPOET OF THE COUNCIL FOR 1886. 



Fellows. — During the year forty-four Fellows have been elected, a 

 number which is a little below the average of preceding years ; the deaths, 

 however, have been somewhat exceptional, so that these, added to the resigna- 

 tions and removals, have reduced the list by thirty-three Fellows. 



Of the Honorary Fellows, one vacancy has occurred during the year 

 through the lamented decease of Mr. Busk, whose death was noticed by the 

 President at the October meeting. This vacancy has not yet been filled. 



The list at the end of last year stood as follows: — 617 Ordinary 

 Fellows, 49 Honorary Fellows, and 82 Ex-officio Fellows, or 748 in all. 



Finances. — The revenue of the year for interest, admission fees, and 

 annual subscriptions, exceeded lOOOZ. The net increase of annual subscrip- 

 tions, due to elections of new Fellows, during the year, amounts to 

 24Z. 3s., the invested funds standing at the same amount as last year. 

 The arrears of subscriptions are small, and the Council believe that this 

 Society will compare favourably in this respect with any other Society in 

 London. 



The compositions received during the year have been applied in part 

 towards payment of the cost of the portraits of the Presidents, which it had 

 been intended to defray out of the invested funds. 



Library and Cabinet. — The Council are glad to be able to report that 

 the Catalogue of the Library is in the hands of the printers, and will be 

 issued during the present session. 



In going through the books, it was found that there are many which, 

 whilst valuable in themselves, are not, in the opinion of the Council, 

 sufficiently useful or interesting to Fellows of the Society, to make it desir- 

 able to retain them, having regard to the fact that the space in the Library 

 is rapidly being exhausted, and that there is but little room to provide for 

 the necessary books to be purchased in futiu-e years. Under these circum- 

 stances the Council recommend that they should be authorized to dispose of 

 such books as they may consider it undesirable to retain. 



The examination of the Cabinet has been continued, and is still in pro- 

 gress. An exhaustive inspection has been made of the slides, and a 

 considerable number have been repaired and otherwise put in order. For 

 this work the Society are largely indebted to Mr. W. T. Suffolk, who has 

 been unremitting in the attention which he has paid to this matter. 



