78 



Anniversary Meeting. 



[Nov. 30, 



T regret, "however, to record the death of Mr. Henry White, who for 

 many years was chief assistant in the compilation of the great 

 Catalogue of Scientific Papers. At an earlier stage of the work his 

 loss would have been still more serious ; but in a long course of 

 training he succeeded so well in imparting his own careful and 

 methodical mode of work to those under him, that the Council felt 

 justified in making trial of his son to take his place. With the result 

 of this trial, as shown in continuing the preparation of a new edition 

 of the catalogue of the Society's Library, the Council have reason to 

 be satisfied. 



Of this new edition, the first portion, 220 pages, containing our 

 large collection of " Transactions " and " Proceedings " of Academies 

 and Societies, and other scientific periodicals, is in type, and will 

 shortly be printed off. The verification of titles of our scientific 

 books generally is so far advanced as to warrant the expectation 

 that a large instalment of this portion of the catalogue will soon be 

 in the printers' hands ; after which we anticipate no further delay. 



In regard to the Library, a question has arisen as to how far 

 purely literary works, which occupy much space r should be retained. 

 Among them there are doubtless some which add neither to the utility 

 nor to the scientific importance of our Library, but there are also some 

 early printed books, bibliographical treasures, which are worthy of a 

 place in any collection. It is proposed to have these carefully put in 

 order, and to place them in a case- by themselves. Among these, there 

 may be mentioned : — 



Caxton's Chaucer, 1480. 



Pynson's Chaucer, 1492. 



Speght's Polio Chaucer, 1598. 



Ciceronis Officia et paradoxa, Fust. 1466, vellum. 



The geuerall historie of Virginia, Lond. 1632. 



Bonifacius. Sextus decretalium liber. Ven. 1-566-7. 



Plautus, 1482. Seneca, 1490. 



Ovid, 1485. Statius, 1490. 



Plutarch, 1485. Herodotus, 1494. 



Homer, 1488. 



For bringing into prominence these as well as other features of 

 our miscellaneous, i.e., non-scientific, books, we are greatly indebted 

 to the care and knowledge brought to bear on the subject by Mr. 

 Tomlinson, and by our Treasurer. 



Although it is doubtless undesirable to propose, without sufficient 

 cause, alterations in our Statutes, or even in our practice, it is still 

 often worth while from time to time to discuss questions involving 

 such alterations in order that we may be prepared for a deliberate 

 judgment whenever occasion may arise. Among such questions there 



