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The Council have again to congratulate the Society on the large amount 
of good work it has accomplished, and on its bright prospects of greater and 
more extended usefulness in the future. 
Many important communications have been made at the general and 
sectional meetings, while the members have shown, by the frequent 
discussions which have taken place, a growing interest in the Society's 
welfare, and an increasing sympathy with its aims and objects. 
Your Council have also to congratulate you upon the recent alteration in 
the Rules, by which ladies will in future be admitted into the Society as 
Associates — an alteration which it is believed has given general satisfaction 
to the Society, as tending to increase its popularity with the public at large. 
But while there is much cause for rejoicing, there are not wanting subjects 
of regret. 
Within the past year the Society has sustained a great loss by the resig- 
nation of the Hon. Reporting Secretary, Mr. W. Lant Carpenter, whose 
business engagements would not permit of his longer continuing in that 
office, the duties of which have, since Mr. Carpenter's resignation, been 
discharged by Mr. T. Graham Ponton. 
Another cause of regret is the suspension of the Meetings of the Chemical 
Section, which arose from various unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances. 
A considerable number of new members have been elected during the year, 
but, on the other hand, many of the old members have died or have 
resigned in consequence of leaving Bristol; the total number of members, 
therefore, now amounts only to about two hundred and fifteen, showing a 
decrease on that of last year. 
The state of the Library Fund has, your Council are glad to say, enabled 
the Society to make some important additions to the number of their books 
by purchase ; several have also been made by the kindness of private 
individuals ; and the Sections have, as in former years, devoted a portion of 
their funds to the purchase of books for the Society's Library. 
The Council again regret that but little progress has been made towards 
the publication of the proposed work of the Society on the Natural History 
of the Neighbourhood, and they fear that the Scheme will have to remain 
in abeyance so long as the funds of the Society continue in their present 
unsatisfactory state. 
Although the financial position of the Society has improved since last year, 
it is still far from what your Council could wish j and they are sorry to learn 
