Annual Meeting. 45 



several donations of antiquities from Egypt Explorations Fund, 

 and Mr, John Brown, F.R.S., for many years an active member of 

 the Council of the Society, and who contributed important papers 

 to the Society's proceedings. 



As mentioned in last Annual Report, the collections of the 

 Society presented to the Belfast Corporation are undergomg 

 careful and scientific classification and cataloguing. 



The geological specimens are now under consideration. 



During the past session Mr. George Donaldson has again 

 rendered valued clerical assistance. A list of the numerous 

 transactions received in exchange from home and foreign Learned 

 Societies will be printed with the present Report. 



Your Council would desire to express their best thanks to the 

 local press for their excellent reports of the various meetings. 



In accordance with the constitution of the Society, five 

 members of Council retire from office, of whom four are eligible 

 for re-election, viz. : — John M. Finnegan, Prof. J. A. Lindsay, 

 Henry Riddell and R. M. Young. 



Mr. Henry Riddell submitted the financial statement, 

 which showed that there was a balance in the bank of ^^95 4s. 2d. 

 That was the first time for a considerable number of years there 

 was a balance in the bank, and it was due to the fact that they 

 were now receiving from the city a rental of ;^t5o for that hall 

 and the museum. Compared with previous years there had been 

 a slight falling off in the subscriptions. He thought the Society 

 ought to give the Council a lead in the matter of increasing the 

 number of their adherents, and of giving the organization a wider 

 effect in the city. It seemed to him that the number of share- 

 holders and subscribers was very small for a Society such as that, 

 the premier Philosophical Society in the city, and that an effort 

 should be made to widen their horizon in some way. Very much 

 greater benefit would accrue to the community at large if the 

 Society had a very greatly increased membership. 



