REPORT OF THR COUNCIL. 473 



analytical tables of nearly all the British species, it serves as 

 a beginner's handbook to the group ; and as no such hand- 

 book in English existed previously, the appearance of Mr. 

 Wingate's book should be welcomed by entomologists. Those 

 in this district who think of taking up the study of the Diptera 

 have the further advantage that they can refer to the excellent 

 collection formed by Mr. Wingate and presented by him to 

 the Society. An unusually large amount of material has been 

 handed in of late for publication ; this is gratifying as an 

 indication of activity in natural history work among the 

 members, but it also places the Council in a difficulty, since 

 the funds are not adequate even for the ordinary course of 

 the Society's work, much less to meet any unusual demand. 

 Nearly all the manuscripts in hand are of precisely the nature 

 that is most desirable in our Transactions, and it would be 

 extremely regrettable if the Society were compelled to declare 

 itself unable to publish them. Most of them would further- 

 more lose materially in value if the printing were delayed, and 

 it has therefore been decided to appeal to the members for a 

 special subscription, and a circular explaining the circum- 

 stances is sent herewith. It is hoped that if the expenses 

 of the printing at present outstanding can be met by this 

 subscription, it may be possible for some time to continue the 

 issue of Transactions without further special appeal. 



In the report of two years ago it was mentioned, in con- 

 nexion with the Transactions, that a work on the British 

 Tunicates by Joshua Alder and Albany Hancock, left as an 

 unfinished manuscript in the possession of this Society, was 

 being published by the Ray Society. Another very satis- 

 factory step of the same sort can now be recorded. The same 

 two authors had left with the Society a large amount of 

 material — specimens, drawings, and notes— connected with 

 another group, the nudibranch molluscs. Some of the notes 

 and drawings were intended to serve for a supplement to their 

 great monograph of this group, published in 1845-54 by the 

 Ray Society. All that is important in this material has now 

 been put for examination into the hands of Sir Charles Eliot, 



