12 
REPORT OF THE 
attention of Members to tbe importance of adding to this 
department, wbioh embraces the whole range of Vertebrate 
Zoology, the Birds only excepted. 
Library.— The Honorary Curator reports that during the 
past year the Library has continued to receive valuable gifts. 
Mr. W. Beed has added to the Beed Beference Library, 
Volumes XVII. to XXII. of the “ Challenger Beports,’’ in 
continuation of the Volumes given by him in previous years, 
and has besides, presented other important works to the same 
Library. The Greneral Library has again received valuable 
Books from the Norwegian and United States Governments, 
and the publications of the Indian Survey, and of the Bussian 
Geological Society have been regularly presented. These, and 
other gifts, are carefully preserved, but in many cases have 
never been bound, and, if bound, could not be accommodated on 
the shelves. In the interests of the Library, additional 
accommodation should be provided without delay, so that works, 
now concealed in cupboards, and unbound, may be classified and 
rendered available for reference and the use of members. 
It is also desirable that a new catalogue of the books should 
be provided, and the Library better classified, but this work 
cannot be undertaken until additional shelves are provided. 
Meteorology. —Although, since our records began in 1841, 
six years only had been colder than 1886, we have to report a 
still lower mean temperature (46-05) for 1887. The only colder 
years were 1855 (44-41), and 1853 (45-95). In fact the whole 
year has been unusually cool, except the three summer months, 
in which the day temperatures were high. Even then, how¬ 
ever, the nights were fairly cool. The Thermometer fell to 
40* or below in every month, and to 32° or below in every 
month but those three. October was especially cold (43'7), a 
lower temperature being recorded only in 1843 (43-3), and 1873 
(42-9). 
Bright Sunshine, however, was more abundant than in 
any of the seven years during which returns have been made, 
the three summer months monopolizing 608 of the 1377 hours 
recorded. This absence of any association between temperature 
