^^^' 55'] AN2fu5.L REPORT. xi 



Three Shillings and Sixpence per copy in the case of non-Fellows. 

 The number of replies received is hardly such as to warrant the 

 printing of more than 500 copies, and it is expected that the sum 

 of ^50 set down in the Estimates for the current year will amply 

 cover the cost of publication of the Hutton Manuscript. 



The Council have pleasure in announcing the completion of 

 Vol. LIV of the Society's Quarterly Journal, and the commence- 

 ment of Vol. LV. During the past year Index Slips have been 

 issued with each number of the Journal, in accordance with the 

 plan elaborated by the Geological Sub-Committee of the Inter- 

 national Catalogue Committee. These Index Slips are so prepared 

 as to furnish the materials for a card-catalogue of authors and 

 subjects, and it is proposed to continue the issue of such slips with 

 the Journal of the current year. 



The Record of Geological Literature added to the Society's 

 Library during 1898 will be brought up to the closing day of that 

 year. It is hoped to issue it this year, and in future years, con- 

 currently with the May number of the Quarterly Journal. The 

 labour iuvolved in preparing and arranging the MS. for the printers, 

 and in passing it through the press, is very great ; and it has been 

 found impossible to devote an adequate amount of attention to the 

 work and its revision, in the short space of time which separates the 

 end of December from the beginning of February. 



Dissatisfaction having been expressed with the method, hitherto 

 in force, of selecting papers for publication in the Society's Quarterly 

 Journal, the Council appointed a Committee to consider the whole 

 question. 



The Committee made the following recommendations, which were 

 adopted by the Council in April last, and have since that time 

 been acted on : — 



' 1. That it be a recommendation to the President or Chairman 

 of the Council, when acting under Bye-Laws, Sect. XXI, Art. 6, 

 to appoint as Referees a sufficient number of Fellows, including 

 the President and Secretaries, to form a body which the Council 

 may appoint as a Committee of Heference, to examine the paper 

 and report thereon. The Committee shall be at liberty to take the 

 opinion of any person or persons having special knowledge of the 

 subject dealt with in the paper, and such opinions may be embodied 

 in their Report. 



' 2. That in future all papers be referred, as soon as convenient, 

 after they have been delivered at the House of the Society.' 



It was felt by the Committee that, as any change would be in 

 the nature of an experiment, it was undesirable to make any 

 alteration in the Bye-Laws, at present, if it could be avoided. It 

 will be seen, therefore, that the above resolutions are framed in 

 such a manner that, while they are in strict accordance with the 

 Bye-Laws, they yet eifect a very considerable change in the method 

 of reference of papers, which has been in existence for many years 



