COUNCIL FOR 1853 . 
11 
Sarcophagi known to have been found among Roman remains 
in York. 
The Council, on some former occasions, have had to refer to 
Floricultural and Horticultural Exhibitions, held in the Museum 
Gardens during the preceding year. To these the Council still 
look back with pleasure; but it is with peculiar satisfaction they 
have now to notice, that during the meeting of the Yorkshire 
Agricultural Society in York, in August last, an Exhibition 
of an entirely novel kind, was presented to the Members and 
the Public, by the Yorkshire Philosophical Society. It was 
described by the Council, in one of the programmes, to he 
An Exhibition of Plants, remarkable for variety, beauty, and 
utility in the Arts, comprising living plants and preparations 
of the parts most curious in structure, most instructive in 
physiology, or most valuable in food, medicine, and the Arts.” 
To enable them to effect an object of such importance, the 
Council sought from every quarter likely to afford it assistance 
and co-operation ; and from the Royal Gardens, Kew ; the Royal 
Botanic Society’s Garden, Regent’s Park; the Royal Society’s 
Garden, Edinbro ’; the Honourable the East India Company; 
the Apothecary’s Garden, Chelsea; His Grace the Duke of 
Northumberland; Dr.' Bindley; Professor Balfour ; Professor 
Royle; and numerous other parties, the Council received the 
most friendly and valuable assistance, for which the Society is 
under lasting obligation. 
The result fully justified the most sanguine anticipations of 
the Council, as to the success of the Exhibition; and the Council 
point with pleasure to the Appendix to this Report, containing 
a detailed account of the specimens exhibited, and an accurate 
list of the numerous friends who kindly rendered their valuable 
aid on this occasion. 
Observations on the thermometer and barometer have been 
kept up through the year, and the results have been exhibited 
in the vestibule of the Museum. Observations have been kept 
up on the transit instrument, which, with the clocks, is in a 
satisfactory state. 
