73 
Report of the Council , April , 1883. 
The Treasurer’s annual statement attached to this report 
shows that the balance against the General Account has 
been reduced from £120 13s. 3d. — at which it stood on the 
31st March, 1882— to £92 2s. lOd. on the 31st March, 1883. 
But this improvement is more apparent than real, inasmuch 
as an item for rental was included in the receipts immedi- 
ately before the close of the financial year, while the paid 
arrears of the years 1880-1 and 1881-2, included in this 
year’s account, are larger than they will be in the corre- 
sponding period next year. It should also be noticed that 
the expenditure on account of the Library has been very 
greatly reduced during the last five sessions, this year’s 
amount having been £17 6s. 7d., as against £145 13s. 6d. 
expended during the session of 1878-9. On the other hand, 
the balance in favour of the Natural History Fund on the 
31st March, 1883, stands at £55 9s. lid., as compared with 
£35 7s. lid., the amount at which it stood at the corre- 
sponding period twelve months previously. The balance 
in favour of the Compounders’ Fund remains stationary at 
£125, and this item added to the balance of £55 9s. lid. at 
the credit of the Natural History Fund, less the adverse 
balance of £92 2s. lOd. on the General Account, leaves a 
cash balance of £88 7s. Id. in the hands of the Society’s 
bankers on the 31st March, 1883. 
The monetary position of the Society becomes less satis- 
factory year by year, and the Treasurer has urged upon the 
Council the great desirability of largely increasing the 
number of members as the only sound means of bringing 
the Society’s finances into a more healthy condition. The 
valuable library which the Society possesses cannot be 
maintained satisfactorily under a less expenditure than £80 
per annum, while the state of the fabric and fittings of the 
