xxviii Annual Report. 



The Council sincerely trusts that it will not be necessary to resort 

 to so unpleasant a duty as erasing a single name from the list when 

 the members have been duly reminded of their neglect. 



The Council has also to remind the Society that the funds have 

 not been supplemented during the past year with any aid from 

 Government, bat there is reason to hope that a sum of ^£1000 to 

 ^1500 will be placed on the estimates in aid of your operations 

 during next year. The importance and number of the duties 

 that were devolved on the Society during the past year, justify 

 the expectation that Government and the Legislature will 

 favourably entertain the application for the larger of the sums 

 mentioned. 



The quantity of manuscript now in the hands of your Council for 

 publication, including the several reports of committees, AviU involve 

 an outlay fully equal to the expenditure of the last year for publish- 

 ing your " Transactions." 



During the present session, besides the anniversary Meeting, two 

 special, one adjourned, and twelve ordinary meetings have been held. 

 At these meetings sixteen papers have been read, and several sub- 

 jects of much interest have been discussed. Of the papers, your 

 Council has selected fifteen for publication. 



The Society now numbers among its correspondents one hundred 

 and thirteen (113) kindred societies, and several eminent scientific 

 and literary gentlemen in Europe, America, and other parts of the 

 globe. 



The public business entrusted to the Society by the Government 

 during the year has been of more than usual importance. Early in 

 the session the Society was requested to administer the funds sub- 

 scribed for the Exploration of the Interior, and to suiDerintend the 

 expenditure of the sum voted by the Legislature for that purpose. 

 The discharge of these trusts has not only involved great responsi- 

 bility, but some expense and much anxiety. The greater number of 

 the members of the Committee being also active members of the 

 Society, the time required by the frequent meetings has been no in- 

 considerable tax on the several members. These labors and sacri- 

 fices have, however, been cheerfully borne, and the various duties they 

 entailed have been zealously performed. It is therefore with great 

 satisfaction your Council congratulates the Society on the success 

 that has hitherto attended the efforts made to secure the objects of 

 the Exploring Expedition. 



The Society has also had confided to it a series of queries, involv- 

 ing matters of scientific interest and economic importance, relating 

 to the Natural History of the British Colonies. These queries have 

 been responded to by several gentlemen, members of your Society, 

 appointed for that purpose, in a manner that displays much care, 

 and it is confidently expected they will prove of great value in pro- 

 moting the objects contemplated by the Imperial Government. 



