EEPOET ON THE PEOCEEDINGS 



OF THE SOUTH AFEICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY 



During the Year ending July 29th, 1885. 



1 . Since the last Annual General Meeting eleven Ordinary Monthly 

 Meetings have been held. The average attendance of members at 

 each meeting has been eleven, and that of visitors seven, making the 

 total average attendance of members and visitors eighteen. 



2. At the Monthly Meetings eighteen papers have been read before 

 the Society. Of these three relate to Astronomy, one to Botany, three 

 to Entomology, one to History, two to Meteorology, one to Pathology, 

 two to Philology, one to Pure Mathematics, two to Zoology, and two 

 to Miscellaneous subjects. 



3. Donations of books have been received from the Smithsonian 

 Institution, the Hamilton Association (Canada), the Ornithological 

 Society of Vienna, the National Academy of Sciences of Cordoba, 

 the Director of the Geological and Natural History Survey of Canada, 

 Dr. Ackermann, Dr. Elkin, Dr. Gill, and Mr. J. C. Eickard. 



The issue of the Society's publications to scientific institutions 

 abroad has hitherto beei^ carried out in a somewhat desultory manner. 

 Steps will be taken during the ensuing year to places the exchanges 

 with foreign societies on a more satisfactory footing, and it is hoped 

 that the result will be a large increase in the number of donations of 

 books. 



4. Vol. III. Part 2 of the Society's Transactions is in the press 

 and will very shortly be issued to members. This part concludes Vol. 

 III. and contains a record of the Proceedings of the Society and the 

 papers received to 1884 July. It also contains {a) a catalogue of 

 Books nd Papers referring to South African Meteorology which has 

 been compiled by Mr. Gamble, {b) a first contribution by Mr. 

 Peringuey on South African Coleoptera, (c) an appendix to the 

 Catalogue of Books on South African Botany already published in 

 Vol. 11. 



5. During the year seven Ordinary Members have been elected. 

 The Society has lost one member by death, three have resigned, and 

 two have left the Colony. The total number of Ordinary Members 

 is seventy-six, and of Corresponding Members twenty-one. 



6. The side-room of the Commercial Exchange has been found to 

 answer well for the Society's place of meeting ; and it is in contem- 

 plation to remove the books forming the Society's Library to that 

 room, where they will be more readily available to members. 



AV. H. FINLAY, 

 General Secretary. 



