Ixxii PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY. [JuHG I912, 



the elaborate card-catalogue of the older works in the Library has 

 been completed, for it will then be possible to carry on the cataloguing 

 of current literature immediately upon receipt, with economy and 

 promptness by the method that has been adopted. 



But, while it does not appear to be possible for the Society to 

 contemplate any immediate change or increase in the expenditure 

 of its ordinary funds, its resources have been increased of late years 

 by the generous bequests of .£1000 each from our former Presidents 

 Dr. Sorby and Mr. Hudleston, and of ^100 from the late Mr. Hannah. 

 These gifts have been left unfettered, both as to capital and as to 

 income, so that they maj' be freely applied to whatever purposes 

 and in whatever way the Society thinks best. To devote the 

 income of these funds to special branches of the library work will 

 not only make for the advantage of the Library, but also for the 

 perpetuation of the memory of the generous donors ; and it is 

 possible that such devotion may attract similar bequests or 

 donations in the future. It has also been decided on the present 

 occasion not to award the Prestwich Medal, but to devote 

 the accumulated income for the last three yeais, as the terms of 

 the bequest allow, to the expenses connected with the change 

 in the Library. 



In the publication of our list of ' Geological Literature added 

 to the Geological Society's Library ' we discharge a most important 

 duty to our Fellows and to geologists at large, and, at the same 

 time, bring to the notice of other publishing bodies the extent and 

 value of our own library, and the need that it should be made as 

 complete as possible. By a careful and judicious distribution of 

 this publication to those responsible for the comparatively few 

 works or serials which we do not yet receive, we may possibly 

 bring home to them the advisability of contributing their journals 

 and other publications to our library, if not for the benefit of science 

 in general, at all events as an excellent means of advertisement. 



Indeed, our library must not only retain its present reputation as 

 one of the most representative in the world, but our ' Geological 

 Literature ' should constitute the most important current biblio- 

 graphy of geological science. Every possible effort should be put 

 forth to attain these most desirable ends, and the Council, now 

 that the path has been made smooth, and accommodation for many 

 years' expansion provided, should not rest satisfied till they have 

 made clear to all that, after carrying out so advantageously the 

 first resolution of the Society in dispersing the collections, they are 



