I 83 NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OP DUBLIN. 



tific Societies at home, in England, Scotland, the Continent of Europe, 

 America, and India, and of which the majority of the papers gain besides 

 the very extended circulation (in so many English and foreign public 

 libraries) of the ' Dublin Quarterly Journal of Science,' cannot be an 

 ineffective medium to convey to observers elsewhere the result of obser- 

 vations made here, nor an inefficient or inadequate record of facts, dis- 

 coveries, and opinions. 



" The donations to the Museum have not been so numerous as in 

 previous years, but some valuable ornithological specimens have been 

 kindly presented to the collection, which still remains in the safe cus- 

 tody of your Treasurer. 



" The state of the funds of the Society will appear from your Trea- 

 surer's report. 



" Daring the past year the meetings of the Society have been regu- 

 larly held, and have taken place at the Royal Irish Academy, Dawson- 

 street, for which accommodation your Council would beg to thank the 

 Council of the Academy in the name of this Society. Much as it may 

 be wished, however, that the Society were able to assume an indepen- 

 dent position, by occupying its own apartments, with its Museum and 

 books at hand, such a suitable locality, at a rate commensurate with 

 the Society's resources, does not present itself. It may eventually, 

 perhaps, remain to be considered how far it might be desirable or ad- 

 visable, or indeed how far it might be feasible, to take action as to the 

 formation of means, separate from the ordinary income of the Society, 

 for the purpose of acquiring a suitable house or apartments as a perma- 

 nent ' local habitation.' 



" In conclusion, your Council begs to congratulate the Society on 

 being in a condition which is to be regarded as healthy. To all the 

 members, your Council would say — induce as many new members as 

 possible to join ; and it would urge the working members especially 

 more energetically to work ; for so only will papers more numerously 

 flow in ; so will, by the united labours of the students in various de- 

 partments, the knowledge of the natural history of our island be in- 

 creased ; so only will our Museum become more what it ought to be, 

 for, except in the department of birds, it is as yet but a nucleus ; so 

 will our Journal become more and more worthy to take rank beside the 

 publications of kindred Societies elsewhere, so generously forwarded in 

 exchange for that of this Society ; and so, in fine, it is to be hoped, will 

 science be gradually more and more advanced, and the function and ob- 

 ject of this Society more and more perfectly fulfilled." 



The foregoing Eeport was adopted. 



The Treasurer then read the statement of the accounts, by which 

 it appeared that there was a balance of £17 15s. 9d. to be brought for- 

 ward to the Society's credit from last year, and a Eeserved Fund of 

 £74 13s. 6d. 



