members will regret the absence from their meetings of his familiar and venerable figure, they will also be gratified at the opportunity of rendering honour to one whose name has stood the longest on their roll. The other gentlemen proposed by the Council for Honorary Membership are-Lord Lindsay, F.R.A.S., whose services to Astronomical Science with regard to the observations of the transit of Venus are well known, and who has presented to the Society the Dun Echt Observatory Publications: Dr. Günther, of the British Museum, whose term of election as a Corresponding Member having expired, presents a suitable opportunity for removing his name to the class of Honorary Members; Dr. Adolphus Ernst, Principal of the Department of Science, Philosophy and Medicine, Caraccas; Dr. Leidy, of the Academy of Science, Philadelphia; Dr. Franz Steindachner, of the Royal and Imperial Museum of Vienna; the Rev. Dr. Tristram, and Count Pourtalés, Keeper of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Amongst the Corresponding Members, the terms of Mr. J. Yate Johnson, of London, and Mr. W. B. N. Walker, of Gaboon, West Africa, have expired, and the Council recommend them for re-election. They also propose the following, as new Corresponding Members-Mr. Edward Dukinfield Jones, Civil Engineer, Sao Paulo, Brazil; Miss Horatia T. Gatty, Ecclesfield Vicarage, Wakefield; Dr. Allen, of Jamaica; Dr. George Bennett, Sydney; Dr. David Walker, and Mr. Andrew Murray. Nearly all of these have done good work by which the Society has benefited, either directly or through the medium of the Free Public Museum, and the Council feel assured that the members will have great pleasure in thus acknowledging their services. During the Session the term of the Presidential office was abridged from three to two years. This change, which was suggested by

the President, will render the dignity less onerous for the future, and give the Society more frequent opportunities of conferring honour upon its meritorious members. The Council are, accordingly, of opinion that the change was wisely made, and that its operation will prove to be beneficial. The Volume of Proceedings for the last Session has almost passed through the press, and will be ready for distribution in the course of a few weeks. It will contain an Appendix, giving a list of the Mollusca, collected in the Argo Expedition, with a coloured plate of two of the new shells. For this valuable addition to the Proceedings the Society is indebted to the Rev. Henry H. Higgins, M.A.

The Council conclude their Report with recommending the following members for election on the Council for the ensuing Session:-Mr. Isaac Roberts, F.G.S., Mr. G. F. Chantrell, Mr. Mason, F.C.S., Mr. Malcolm Guthrie, and Mr. Thos. Ward.

The Report was approved and adopted on the motion of Mr. J. C. Redish, seconded by Mr. Unwin.

The Honorary Treasurer then read his Annual Statement of Accounts, which was passed on the motion of Mr. E. W. Yates, seconded by Mr. D. E. Yates.

The election of Officers followed, and the following gentlemen were duly elected: Vice-Presidents-Thos. J. Moore, Cor. Mem. Z.S.L., Edward R. Russell, Thomas Higgin, F.L.S.; Honorary Treasurer-Richard C. Johnson, F.R.A.S.; Honorary Secretary-James Birchall; Honorary Librarian-Alfred Morgan; Members of CouncilJ. Campbell Brown, D.Sc. &c., Alfred E. Fletcher, F.C.S., W. Carter, M.B., Edward Davies, F.C.S., C. H. Stearn, George H. Morton, F.G.S., Josiah Marples, John W. Hayward, M.D., Sibley Hicks, F.R.C.S., Isaac Roberts, F.G.S., G. F. Chantrell, A. H. Mason, F.C.S., Malcolm Guthrie, Thomas Ward.

The Associates of the Society were next re-elected, and the special business of the Annual Meeting being then concluded, the President read his First Inaugural Address.* There was a large attendance of members and friends, and many ladies were also present.

FIRST ORDINARY MEETING.

ROYAL INSTITUTION, October 15th, 1877.

JOHN J. DRYSDALE, M.D., M.R.C.S., PRESIDENT, in the Chair.

Mr. Alfred Higginson, M.R.C.S.; Lord Lindsay, F.R.A.S., Dr. Günther, British Museum; Dr. Adolphus Ernst, Caracas; Dr. Leidy, Philadelphia; Dr. Franz Steindachner, Vienna; Rev. Dr. Tristram, F.R.S.; and Count Pourtalés, Harvard College, Massachusetts, were elected Honorary Members.

Mr. J. Yate Johnson, London, and Mr. R. B. N. Walker, Gaboon, West Africa; Mr. Edward Dukinfield Jones, São Paulo, Brazil; Miss Horatia K. F. Gatty, Ecclesfield Vicarage, Sheffield; Dr. Allen, Jamaica; Dr. George Bennett, Sydney; Mr. Andrew Murray, London; and Dr. David Walker, California, were elected Corresponding Members; and Messrs. Edwin Woodhead, H. Mott, F. B. Mott, W. E. Soltau, and F. W. Birchall were elected Ordinary Members.

There was a large attendance of ladies and gentlemen, and the proceedings consisted in the main of a conversazione on Natural Science.

An interesting series of living exotic plants from the Botanic Gardens of Liverpool was exhibited by the Curator, Mr. Richardson. Some brief remarks on the botanical pecu

* See page 1.

liarities and economic value of the plants were made by the Rev. HENRY H. HIGGINS, who said that he wished to call the attention of the Society to the excellent condition in which the more strictly botanical departments of the gardens were maintained, and to the advantages thereby afforded to students.

Ficus macrophylla.
Ficus religiosa.

ORD. LAURINEÆ.

Laurus cinnamomum.
Persea gratissima.
Hernandia sonora.

ORD. LEGUMINOSE.
Adenanthera pavonina.
Baphia nitida.
Tamarindus indica.

ORD. ASPHODELEÆ.

Phormium tenax.

Xanthorrhoea australis.

ORD. GRAMINEÆ. Bambusa arundinacea.

Banyan tree.