ANNUAL EEPOET OF THE COUNCIL. 147 



issue, and the excellent basis thus formed for the more mature work ; yet much 

 is also to be attributed to the services and indefatigable zeal of the General 

 Editor, Dr. Wilson, under whose direction the work has been issued, along with 

 the valuable and effective co-operation of his coadjutors, of whose joint labors the 

 Members have already enjoyed abundant opportunities of judging for themselves. 



The practice adopted by the Council in reference to the former series of the 

 Journal, of placing it in the hands of the trade for general sale, having been found 

 to be attended with much trouble, without any adequate advantages to repay the 

 care of locking after booksellers' accounts, and the returns of agents for copies on 

 sale, the Council have adopted the practice — usually acted upon by Scientific So- 

 cieties at Home, with their Transactions, — of printing the Journal exclusively for 

 distribution among the Members of the Institute, and such Institutions and Socie- 

 ties as they may transmit it to in gift, or exchange for their publications. As the 

 annual payment of four dollars from Members resident in Toronto, and of three 

 dollars from country Members, is not more than the Journal of the Institute may 

 be considered fully worth, — in addition to the other advantages which resident 

 Members enjoy, — this arrangement has in no degree checked the increasing circu- 

 lation of the Journal, while it has materially contributed to the large addition of 

 new Members above referred to. The only exception which the Council have 

 deemed it advisable to make to this rule is, that Members are permitted to pur- 

 chase additional copies, and Provincial Literary and Scientific Societies to subscribe 

 for the Journal by an annual payment in advance, at the same rate as the subscrip- 

 tion required from non-resident Members. 



The experience of the Council during the past, year has fully confirmed them in 

 the wisdom of this course, and they accordingly recommend that it be adhered to, 

 and that the new series of the Journal be continued and permanently adopted in 

 its present form ; and they have much satisfaction in announcing that Dr. Wilson 

 has consented to continue his services as Editor in Chief during the ensuing year. 

 With a view to meet the rapidly increasing numbers of the Institute, the Council 

 instructed the Editing Committee to increase the new edition of the Journal from 

 seven hundred and fifty — the number of the former series — to one thousand copies ; 

 of these about six hundred and fifty have been distributed, and the remainder are 

 in reserve to meet the demands consequent on the future extension of the Institute, 

 and the exchanges which its rapidly extending relations with foreign Societies may 

 require. 



EDITING COMMITTEE'S REPORT. 



The Committee appointed to edit the new series of the Canadian Journal, beg 

 leave to submit to the Council the following Report of their proceedings during the 

 past year. 



In accordance with the instructions of the Council, as set forth in the scheme 

 prepared and published in the Annual Report for 1855, the duties of the Editing 

 Committee were classified and divided among its members. 



The organization of this Committee having only taken place at the close of last 

 year, and their duties being further complicated by the transfer of the printing of 

 the Journal to a different firm from that formerly employed, some delay necessa- 

 rily took place in the first number; and difficulties were occasioned to the Editing 

 Committee on more than one subsequent occasion by impediments entirely beyond 

 their control, such as the want of the requisite fonts of type, especially for some 

 of the scientific papers of a special character. But these and other obstacles to 



