ANNUAL REPORT. 
63 
The annual financial statement of the treasurer shows the 
total receipts for the year, T249 2s. lljd., the total payments 
(including adverse balance of T17 19s. ljd. last year), 
T251 Os. 5jd., leaving a balance due to the treasurer of 
T1 17s. 6d. The receipts for the year from subscriptions 
have covered the current expenditure of the year, showing 
that the Society is in a sound working position ; but there 
was, at the commencement of the year, a considerable amount 
of arrears owing lor rent and for publication of proceedings, 
as well as the balance due to the treasurer, and for the purpose 
of clearing off these arrears six loans of T10 each have been 
granted by some members of council, and after paying all 
accounts due at the end of the year, the two sides of the 
account are now practically balanced. 
The council have provided for paying off these loans by 
effecting a reduction in the expenditure, dispensing with the 
assistant curator and librarian, and discontinuing for the 
present the daily opening of the Society’s room, by discon¬ 
tinuing expenditure upon the library, and suspending the 
supply of the expensive serial publications. It has been with 
great reluctance and regret that the council have taken this 
step, but they felt bound not to let the Society remain in debt, 
and not to incur any current expenditure that could possibly 
be avoided until that object is accomplished. They look with 
confidence to the speedy restoration of these temporary 
suspensions, and they appeal earnestly to the members to assist 
in hastening that time by obtaining additions to the number 
of members, and so increasing the income of the Society. 
The total number of members for the year 1887 is 208, 
being 7 less than the previous year. There are 7 life 
members, 152 ordinary (guinea) members, 18 family (half¬ 
guinea) members, 5 honorary vice-presidents, 27 corresponding- 
members, and 4 associates. 
The council have deep regret in recording the loss, during 
the year, of Mr. Thomas Bolton, F.R.M.S., whose lamented 
death has been widely felt. He was for many years a very 
active and valued member of the Society, and has been of 
late years acting as the assistant curator and librarian. 
Shortly before his death, a wish was expressed that his 
services to the Society should be recognised by making him a 
life member, but, his death intervening, this distinction has 
been conferred instead upon his son, Mr. Thomas E. Bolton. 
A fine set of microscopical slides of polycystina and 
diatomacese, from the celebrated Barbados earth, has been 
presented to the Society by Professor Hamilton, of the 
Government Laboratory, Barbados. A cabinet for 1,000 
