REPORT OF THE COUNCIL 3 



an extent. The further subscriptions were not numerous, 

 however, and the additional sum realised was only ^17 6s. 

 The total amount produced by the appeal, ^245 i8s., was 

 sufficient to tide over the difficulty of the moment, and the 

 Council value the response as a proof of the real interest 

 which is taken in the Society's work. But as the publication 

 of Transactions, even under normal circumstances, absorbs 

 money which can ill be spared from other objects, the Council 

 desire to commend to the members the example of a few who 

 have made their subscription to the Publication Fund an 

 annual one. Such a fund permanently maintained, even if it 

 were not large enough to meet the whole cost of the Trans- 

 actions, would be a very welcome relief to the finances in 

 general. 



Another matter in connection with publications, also alluded 

 to in the last report, is the valuable material relating to the 

 nudibranch molluscs, left to the Society by Joshua Alder and 

 Albany Hancock. This, as already reported, has been taken 

 in hand by Sir Charles Eliot, whose papers on the Indian 

 species represented among the specimens and drawings have 

 now been published by the Zoological Society. Alder and 

 Hancock's notes on the British species are to be issued by the 

 Ray Society as a supplement to the great monograph by the 

 same authors ; but their publication is delayed for the present 

 through lack of a sufficient guarantee of subscriptions. In a 

 matter so closely connected with this Society and its traditions, 

 your Council when approached felt that they could not do less 

 than offer to subscribe for ten copies (;^io los.); and they 

 will now be glad to hear from any members who are 

 sufficiently interested in the subject or the authors to wish 

 to possess themselves of a copy on publication. 



A heavy expense has come upon the funds during the year 

 through the necessity of replacing one of the three boilers by 

 means of which the museum is heated. The boiler and the 

 work of fitting it cost altogether -£8i. Unfortunately, even 

 with all three boilers in good order, the heating system of the 

 museum is not perfect. The power is sufficient, but the 



