THE COUNCIL. 
7 
in the expenses of the garden, of lighting and warming the 
Museum, and in the preparation of zoological specimens. From 
all these sources they venture to state that a further reduction 
upon the necessary expenditure may be realized to the extent 
of i?.30 annually. 
On the General Account it will appear that the debt is 
reduced. This reduction would have been more considerable 
than it is, had it not been thought advisable to supply the 
deficiency of subscriptions formerly appropriated to the zoolo¬ 
gical establishment, and to the excavation of the multangular 
tower ; a certain part of the expenses attending the erection 
of the Observatory has also been placed in this account. To 
prevent the occurrence of such irregular charges in future, the 
Council have resolved that no works about the Museum or 
garden, proposed to be executed by the contributions of any 
of the members, shall be undertaken, until the whole sum 
required to defray the expense, be actually paid to the 
officers of the Society, as a security against eventual loss 
to the Institution at large. 
The Meeting is now in possession of all the facts concerning 
the employment of their funds during the past year. The 
Annual Expenditure is diminished, the debt is reduced, and 
by a sure though slow process of rigid economy it may be 
wholly removed. But there is a most urgent demand for the 
completion of a valuable and popular part of the Museum, and 
the subscription for this purpose is at present inadequate to 
the object. It is for this Meeting to direct what steps shall 
now be taken to maintain the scientific reputation of the 
Society, without increasing its pecuniary embarrassments. 
