PREFACE. 
T HE Eighth. Volume of the Journal of the T rails actions of 
the Victoria Institute is now issued, and it will be 
found that the importance of. the Papers it contains, and of 
the discussions thereon, has in no way diminished, since the 
last volume was published. It will also be observed that, 
so far as possible, the Council has been careful to include 
in editorial notes, and in what may be called “ after papers,” 
any special points which arose, in the papers or discussions 
themselves, but were not taken up during the meetings. 
To the writers of Papers and to those who took part in the 
discussions, the best thanks of both Members and Associates 
are due : with respect to the “ after papers,” it must not be for- 
gotten that some are by authorities, not connected as members 
with the Institute, but who have generously aided in its work. 
The Institute now exchanges transactions with almost all 
the leading learned societies in London ; and the circulation 
of its publications has doubled, each year since 1870. 
As regards the progress of the Society ^ it has always been 
felt that it rested in no small degree with the Members and 
Associates themselves; and this feeling has certainly contri- 
buted to the firmness of that support which they have given, 
and which has tended, not only to the Institute's strength 
and stability, but to increase public confidence in it. During 
the past year the number of new Members and Associates 
has been greater than in any previous year, and it is often 
gratifying to find that the support of the very few who have 
retired has not been entirely withdrawn : — the number of 
foreign and colonial Members is rapidly increasing; 
