Proceedings, &c. lv 



THE ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNCIL FOR 1864 

 was read by the Hon. Secretary, as follows : — 



" The period for which your Council have now the honour to 

 " submit their Report, is included between the 14th of March last 

 " (when they, with the various office-bearers were elected) and the 

 " present date. During this period, the Society has held ten 

 " ordinary meetings, at all of which there has generally been a 

 " pretty full attendance of members. The donations received from 

 " foreign corresponding societies, and private donors here and abroad, 

 " comprise seventy-four books and pamphlets. The following 

 " original papers have been read, namely : — ' On a Genus of Coleop- 

 " tera, hitherto unfound in Victoria,' by Mr. Archer.* ' On the 

 " Surface and L T nderground Drainage of the City of Melbourne,' by 

 " Mr. A. K. Smith. ' On Recent Determinations of the Sun's 

 " Distance,' by Mr. Ellery. ' Notes on the Geology of Hobart Town,' 

 " by Mr. Harrison. ' Yarra Floods and their Remedy,' by Mr. 

 " Adams. ' The Structure of Cartilage as developed by the newly- 

 " invented application of Magenta Dye,' by Professor Halford. 

 " ' On the genus Arripis,' by Professor M'Coy. ' Introduction to a 

 " Paper on the Tidal Phenomena of Hobson's Bay,' by Mr. Rawlin- 

 " son. ' Remarks on Spectrum Analysis,' by Mr. Ellery. ' On the 

 " Desirability of holding an Exhibition of Colonial Gems, &c.' by 

 " the Rev. Dr. Bleasdale. ' Notes on the Tidal Phenomena of 

 " Hobson's Bay, with reference to the various suggested drainage 

 " schemes for the valley and basin of the River Yarra Yarra,' by 

 " Mr. Rawlinson. ' Notes on the Wealden Formation of England 

 " as in some measure illustrated by the physical features of Port 

 " Phillip Bay,' by Mr. Harrison. Addresses, also descriptions of 

 " instruments and scientific progress, have on several occasions been 

 " given by some of your members. During the sessions the Society 

 M have enrolled twelve ordinary members, one life member, and one 

 " honorary life member. The honorary treasurer submits a balance- 

 " sheet, from which it appears that <£109 3s. has been received for 

 " subscriptions and entrance 'fees during the past session The 

 " number of members who have paid subscriptions for 1864 is 

 " thirty-nine ; although all members in arrears have been called on 

 " for their subscriptions, the revenue of the Society for the current 

 "year cannot be estimated at much over <£110. The debt of the 

 " Society at the beginning of the session was larger than was anti- 

 " cipated, and has been reduced by £105 2s. 9d. The withdrawal, 

 " for the last two years, of the subsidy from the Government which 

 " the Society had hitherto received, has given rise to considerable 



* Before reading the paper, Mr, Archer remarked that since it had been 

 written he had learnt that other specimens had been previously obtained in 

 Victoria. 



