ii ANNIVERSARY MEETING. 



amount of Stock held by the Society at the close of 1848 was 

 ^3563 155. 11^. against 563453 145. Id., the amount held at the 

 close of 1847; and its estimated value on the 31st of December 

 1848 (Consols being 89) was ^3172. 



The Council having observed that a large stock of the Transactions 

 still remained unsold, and believing that by a greater diffusion of the 

 information contained in them, they would materially add to the use- 

 fulness and prosperity of the Society, they have resolved that all ex- 

 cess over fifty copies 'of the volumes of the second series of the Trans- 

 actions, including Vol. VII., should be reduced in price one-half be- 

 low the already reduced prices, both to the Fellows and to the public ; 

 they have also resolved that all excess beyond fifty copies of the Pro- 

 ceedings should be reduced to one-fourth of the former price. By 

 these means they trust that much geological information will be 

 distributed, that the funds of the Society will be benefited, and 

 their shelves cleared of a heavy incumbrance. 



They have further to announce the completion of the fourth volume 

 of the Journal and the publication of the first part of Vol. V. They 

 have also resolved, considering the inconvenience attending the prac- 

 tice of making the publication of the Journal depend on an annual 

 vote, and also considering that the experience of the last three years 

 justifies the propriety of contemplating the present mode of publi- 

 cation as a permanent arrangement, that the publication of the 

 Quarterly Journal be henceforth regularly continued without any 

 annual resolution. 



The attention of the Council has been especially directed to the 

 Museum Report of last year, the principal portion of which was 

 printed and circulated in the fifteenth number of the Journal. The 

 recommendations and suggestions embodied in that Report have on 

 various occasions been carefully discussed by the Council, and some 

 of them have already been acted upon. In the Foreign Collection 

 the Council have resolved that many of the inorganic specimens 

 should be removed, thereby gaining space for the admission of 

 valuable organic specimens, hitherto retained in the crypts for want 

 of space ; and they have the satisfaction of stating, that in conse- 

 quence of the zeal and activity of some of their members, who have 

 vohmtarily offered their services for this purpose, the want of a Cu- 

 rator has in this respect not been experienced. 



The important question of the arrangement of the whole Foreign 

 Collection has not yet been taken into consideration. Some of the 

 arguments in favour of the various systems proposed will be found 

 in the Reports of Mr. Lonsdale and of Professor Forbes, appended 

 to the Museum Report of last year. 



Referring to their Report of last year, the Council regret that 

 the same causes which then induced them to reduce the expenditure 

 incurred in the care of the Museum should still continue in opera- 

 tion ; they have consequently not considered it expedient to appoint 

 a Curator for this year ; they trust however that the state of their 

 finances will shortly enable them to make such arrangements as will 

 ensure the due care and superintendence of the Collections, without 



