IXX PllOCEEDIXGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [JuTie I9I2, 



the two bodies in question, and received from them their formal 

 acceptance of the presentation and their acquiescence in the not 

 Tery onerous conditions imposed. 



During the Long Vacation the contents of the Museum were 

 removed without any expense to the Society. The Office of Works 

 promptly began operations in the space thus vacated, and, before 

 the opening of the present Session, they had converted the cabinets 

 in the Museum aiid Galleries into bookcases suitable for relieving 

 the congestion of the Library on the ground floor. 



The Treasurer, Dr. Strahan, who carried out the negotiations with 

 the Ofiice of Works, succeeded in ridding the Society of reponsibility 

 for the custody of such of the specimen-drawers as were the 

 property of the Crown ; and he has subsequently disposed of the 

 remainder, Avhich were the Society's own property. Dr. Strahan's 

 services in this matter have already received the formal thanks of 

 the Council, and the Society collectively will doubtless ratify this 

 expression of gratitude. 



It has not been thought advisable for the present to under- 

 take any radical re-arrangement of the contents of the Library, 

 but rather to take immediate steps to relieve the congestion 

 of books in the ground-floor room, by transferring a large 

 number to the additional bookcases now rendered available on 

 the upper floor, where they will be re-arranged according to a 

 geographical scheme which can be gradually extended, as oppor- 

 tunity occurs, to the lower floor. In this way the books in most 

 frequent request will become more easily accessible, the present 

 catalogue will only need slight modification, and at the same time 

 the space available for readers and investigators will be considerably 

 extended. 



The dispersal of the collections will not bring any direct 

 monetary advantage nor will it set free any new source of income 

 to meet the Society's other needs ; for, since the preparation of the 

 very comprehensive catalogue by Mr. C. Davies Sherborn and the 

 publication of the late J. F. Blake's 'List of Figured & Type 

 Specimens,' only very small sums have been directly or indirectly 

 consumed in the maintenance of the Museum. 



The two lists just referred to are proving of great service to the 

 two Institutions which have entered into possession of the specimens. 

 Doubtless, as the material is worked over at Jermyn Street and South 

 Kensington, specimens of special scientific value additional to those 

 catalogued in the lists will come to lisrht, and we look forward with 



