PROCEEDINGS. 169 
“The Council, while happy to be able to report to the members 
the present position of the building fund, think it but right to 
point out that but about seventy members, out of 347 on the rolls 
of the Society, have hitherto contributed to this building fund ; 
and though we are now, by Mr. Walker’s most liberal assistance, 
placed in a position presently to claim the Government grant, 
this fact ought all the more to induce those members who have 
not yet subscribed to come forward without delay and liberally 
assist in a work not only of benefit to ourselves, but in a wider sense 
to the Colony at large. It must be self-evident that £1,500 will be 
far from sufficient to accomplish the object in view except by bor. 
scriptions become in the aggregate most useful to the end in view. 
“The Council has, within the past few days, taken active gis 
to secure the building which hitherto has been leased the 
Academy of Arts, and partly sublet by the latter to the Roy al 
Society ; the Council considering this building, with few ler. 
ations, the most eligible for the purposes of the Society. 
purchase of the said building and premises for the sum of £3, 25 
agreed upon, subject to a favourable report by 0 
solicitor as to title. 
“Mr. Henry Heron, solicitor, and a member of og Society, has 
most kindly undertaken to prepare a charter ty, 
which, when — through Parliament, will put the Society on a 
proper legal footin 
. During the last year the Hon. Secretaries have forwarded the 
Journal of the Society for 1876, and other AES II paca 
to them for distribution abroad, to no less than 228 places, Great 
Britain and the Colonies, the Continent and America, pare eee 
in all 1,066 publications. The e Society has thus been the means of 
communication with the principal centres of learning in the —_ 
£0. no less than 880 ot ate mong: which. are many m 
valuable books. Besides these co the library has bok 
enriched dating last year by the purchase of several valuable 
ee works, and a regular depety of thirty-four periodicals 
In En , French, and German. Thus, in time a very 
Scientific libra rary will be s 
“The Journal and Boost etae of the Society for 1877 are in 
course of ae oe to the members. : owledge 
here, with th he expedition on the part of the iciiikindat 
svg which thus enabled the members to receive 
lst yen’ Jour at the beginning of the new session.” 
