REPOET ON THE PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



During the Year ending 28th July. 1886. 



1 . Since the last Annual General Meeting eight Ordinary- 

 Meetings have been held. The average attendance of members 

 at each meeting has been sixteen, and that of visitors nine, making 

 the total average attendance of members and visitors twenty-five. 



2. At the ordinary meetings ten papers have been read before the 

 Society. Of these one relates to Chemistr}^, two to Entomology, five 

 to Geology, one to Meteorology, and one to Statistics. Notes on a 

 variety of subjects have also been read, of which brief accounts will 

 be found in the Notes of Proceedings. 



3. Donations of books have been received from the Smithsonian 

 Institution, the Director of the Geological and Natural History Survey 

 of Canada, the Linnean Society of London, the National Academy of 

 Sciences of Cordoba, the Imperial Society of Naturalists of Moscow, 

 Australian Museum, California Academy of Sciences, the Sydney 

 Observatory, Mr. H. C. Schunke, and Dr. Guild. 



4. Vol. III., Part 2, of the Society's Transactions has been issued 

 to members. Seventy copies have also been distributed to foreign 

 Societies. This distribution of the work of the Society has resulted 

 in a considerable increase in the number of presents received in 

 exchange. 



5. During the year four ordinary and two corresponding members 

 have been elected. The Society has lost two members by death, eight 

 have resigned, and three have left the Colony. The total number of 

 ordinary members is sixty-seven and of corresponding members 

 twenty-three. 



6. The books forming the Society's library have been removed to 

 the side-room of the Commercial Exchange, wliere a book-case has 

 been placed at our disposal by the Secretary of the Chamber of 

 Commerce. The shelving of this book-case, however, is not suitable 

 for the arrangement of books, and some more convenient arrangement 

 is urgently needed. 



7. Application has been made to the British Association for the 

 advancement of Science to have our Society enrolled as one of the 

 Corresponding Societies of tlie Association, and it is believed tliat the 

 application will be acceded to. 



W. H. FINLAY, 



General Secretary. 



