26 Annual Meetino 



W. Stirling, and Arthur Thomson would be recalled with pleasure, 

 whilst the lectures delivered by their local friends were of not less 

 interest. The Society had taken an important step in regard to 

 the promotion of research. He would like to remind them that 

 all learned societies had two functions. They had the function of 

 spreading knowledge and the function of advancing knowledge. 

 No learned society which contented itself with simply spreading 

 knowledge was living up to its opportunities, and now, as their 

 Society was fortunately well in funds, they were taking up in a 

 serious spirit this second department of its activities. They were 

 only at the beginning of their research work, but they already had 

 something definite to report. They would soon be in a position to 

 publish an important memoir on the Geology of Ulster. Continuing, 

 the Chairman said there had for a long time been a feeling that 

 the entrance to the Society was too difificult, and it was thought by 

 the members of the Council that some means should be adopted 

 whereby new members would find it easier to secure admission to 

 their ranks. They had not yet taken any decisive step in the 

 matter, but he hoped the Society would encourage the members of 

 the Council in their proposition. Proceeding the Chairman said 

 it was his melancholy duty to report that during the year the 

 Society had sustained serious losses through death. They had 

 lost some of their oldest and most eminent members, including 

 the Right Hon. Thomas Sinclair, D.L. ; Sir James Henderson, 

 D.L. ; Mr. C. C. Connor, J.P. ; Mr. T. F. Shillington, J.P. ; Dr. 

 Henry O'Neill, J.P. : and Mr. H. M'Neile M'Cormick. The list 

 was of unusual length and of quire unusual distinction, and the 

 Society would like to tender to the families of the gentlemen he 

 had named their sincere sympathy. The Chairman added that 

 notwithstanding the very anxious state of public affairs the Council 

 did not see any reason for intermitting the activities of the Society, 

 and they had already made provisional arrangements for the 

 coming session. 



Sir Otto Jaffe seconded and the report was adopted. 



