XI 
Various specimens of natural history have also been 
presented, namely, one by Capt. Elisee Herman, a very 
curious block of Scoria picked up in the Island St. Paul 
of Amsterdam, — by Mr Para a specimen of ossification 
of the Duramater, &c.. See. 
The Museum and our Society are so closely connected 
that we may be allowed to call attention to the increasing 
number of visitors who present themselves every Tliurs • 
day to that Establishment. The monthly average during 
September, October, November and December, ranged at 
between 12 or 15 hundred. 
Such is, Your Excellency and C-entIcmen, a brief ac- 
count of our Proceedings during the last year. 
Our present condition appears to be satisfactory. For, 
if we have met with serious losses, and our ranks have 
been thinned, as on a day of battle, fresh combattants 
have come to the front to fill the gaps, and the fight has 
been continued. 
We may therefore feel that our Royal Society is estab- 
lished on a firm basis, and may still have a peaceful and 
lengthened career before it. Having lived so long, why 
I 
should we not be able to maintain our existence like the 
great scientific and literarv Societies of London and Paris. 
We arc unwillingly laid to believe that our proceedings 
published under the name of Transactions ” appear to be 
held in slight esteem here since their appearance is unno- 
ticed, but they arc certainly viewed with more favor abroad 
bv the Societies with whom we arc in correspondence, 
v 
