REPORT OF THE RAY SOCIETY. 



In presenting a Report for the present year, your Council feel it 

 incumbent on tliem to explain the cause of the delay which has taken 

 place in the publication of the volumes due for the first year's sub- 

 scription. When they presented their Report last year there was 

 every prospect of a speedy issue of the first volume, but on account 

 of the increase of members rendering it necessary to reprint a large 

 portion of the work after it had gone to press, and the nature of the 

 Reports on various branches of Natural History requiring that the 

 proof sheets should pass through many hands for correction, the issue 

 has been unavoidably delayed, and they feel that, but for the exertions 

 of many members of the Society, to whom the sheets were sent for 

 correction, it would have been impossible to have presented that 

 volume at the present time. 



The Council feel great pleasure in accompanying the presentation 

 of the volume above alluded to with the first part of the great work 

 on the British Nudibranchiate Mollusca. The very great value and 

 importance of this work, recognized as they have been by all British 

 Zoologists since its announcement, have justified the Council in 

 sparing neither pains nor expense in producing it in a form not un- 

 worthy of its intrinsic merits. They feel assured that the new pro- 

 cess of lithotiuting which has been employed on this occasion, and 

 which aflFords almost facsimile imitations of the original drawings, 

 will satisfactorily show to what extent that process may be employed 

 in the illustration of subjects in Natural History. The superinten- 

 dence of the publication of this work has been committed to a sub- 

 committee, consisting of Dr. Johnston, Professor Edward Forbes, 

 and Mr. Wm. Thompson. 



It was fully expected that a volume, consisting of ' Memorials of 

 Ray,' would have been ready for distribution, with the works now 

 before the Society ; and notwithstanding some unexpected delay, the 

 Council have to announce that this work, edited by Dr. Lankester* 

 will be presented very shortly to the Members as part of the first 

 year's publications. 



The Council have the satisfaction of stating that the following 

 works are either completed or in a forward state for publication, viz.: 



