JWtscellanea. 
REPORT OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF VAN DIEMEN'S 
LAND, May 14, 1845. 
Circumstances having prevented the council of 1844 from pre¬ 
paring, to full satisfaction, a report of the proceedings of the 
society for that year, it was therefore resolved, at a recent general 
meeting of the members, that the secretary should be requested 
to prepare and submit to the meeting of this day a report of the 
past proceedings and present state of the society. 
Your secretary, in compliance with this request, would, in the 
first instance, refer to the assurance of his Excellency the Lieut.- 
Governor, made on the formation of the “ Botanical and Horti¬ 
cultural Society of Van Diemen’s Land,” that a large portion 
of the garden in the Government Domain should be placed at 
the entire disposal of the members, and that the government 
would be recommended to make an annual grant of £400 to the 
institution, for the purpose of paying its officers and promoting 
its objects generally. 
The ground adverted to was accordingly appropriated, and her 
Majesty's government, at the instance of his Excellency, sanc¬ 
tioned the grant of £400 per annum.- 
Her Majesty was likewise pleased to become the patron of the 
institution, and to direct that it should in future be called “ The 
Royal Society of Van Diemen’s Land for Horticulture, Botany, 
and the advancement of Science.” 
The attention of the council was primarily directed to such 
alterations as by the division of the original garden were ren¬ 
dered necessary, in order to carry out with efficiency the original 
objects of the society; and it having always been intended that 
the secretary should reside in the house, theretofore occupied by 
the superintendent, accommodation was provided for the secre¬ 
tary in town, until a cottage could be built in the garden for the 
superintendent; the cottage was therefore begun, and will now 
