starting on the downward course of being in arrear. But its immediate effect is that those who would have been next year's defaulters are struck off now.

The present position of the Society in regard to the number of Fellows will be seen from the following tabular statement.

Number of Fellows, March 31st, 1895

1979

114

9

2102

28

17

23

15

83

2019

28

Number of Fellows, March 31st, 1896
Foreign Members....

The use of the Library, as judged from the issue of books, is on the increase. Last year the number issued was 564; this year it is 675. The number of volumes and pamphlets added to the Library during the past year has been 743.

A shelf-catalogue is in course of preparation to facilitate the checking of the books in the Library; and a new system of registration has been adopted, by means of which it is hoped that the loss of books, taken out but not returned, may be diminished.

The number of papers printed in our Transactions has been 116, and 43 other papers have been printed in the Proceedings only. The following statistics relating to our Abstracts have been furnished to me by the Sub-Editor.

The index to the Transactions, Proceedings, and Abstracts occupied 175 pages, of which 120 pages was subject index; 55 pages, index of authors' names.

The grants made to the Research Fund will appear in the Treasurer's Statement. A good return of work done and of communications to the Society is made by those who receive these grants, as may be seen by looking at last year's list. In particular, at our last two meetings we have had communications of great interest and value from Mr. Herbert Jackson and Mr. A. E. Tutton.

The Treasurer will also lay before you, in detail, the financial condition of the Society, which seems to be prosperous, owing largely to

his care.

A question of great and increasing difficulty, that of chemical nomenclature, has again been under the consideration of the Publication Committee and of the Council. As this question is partly international, and as a larger number of foreign chemists attend the meetings of the British Association in the summer than our meetings at a busier time of the year, it was suggested that a discussion on chemical nomenclature might be held at one of the meetings of the Chemical Section of the Association. I have no doubt that effect can be given to this suggestion, and I hope that a large number of our Fellows will be able to attend the meeting.

The Obituary Notices will appear in the next monthly part of the Journal.

Dr. GLADSTONE, F.R.S., proposed a vote of thanks to the President, coupled with the request that he would allow his address to be printed.

Professor DIXON, F.R.S., seconded the motion, which was carried by acclamation.

The PRESIDENT having thanked the meeting,

Professor THORPE, F.R.S., the treasurer, gave an account of the balance sheet, which he laid before the Society, duly audited.

The receipts had been:-By admission fees and subscriptions, £4454; by sale of Journal and advertisements, £511 8s. 3d.; and by dividends on invested capital, £381 15s. 9d. The expenses had been : -On account of the Journal, £2858 10s. 6d.; on account of the Proceedings, £261 6s. 21⁄2d.; on account of the General Index, £184 2s. 6d.; on account of the Library, £306 17s. 4d.; the total expenditure being £4406 18s. 2d. Grants amounting to £180 had been made to Fellows from the Research Fund during the year.

Mr. TYRER proposed that the thanks of the Fellows be tendered to the Treasurer, for his services during the past year; this motion was seconded by Mr. D. HOWARD, and carried.

DR.

THE TREASURER IN ACCOUNT WITH THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY FROM MARCH 16тH, 1895, то MARCH 21ST, 1896.

CR.

1896. Mar. 21st.

115 0 0

Audited, with vouchers, and [BERTRAM BLOUNT.

The TREASURER, in responding, proposed a vote of thanks to the auditors.

Mr. A. BLOXAM seconded the motion, which was unanimously adopted, and acknowledged by Mr. B. BLOUNT.

Dr. RUSSELL, F.R.S., proposed a vote of thanks to the Officers and Council.

Professor TILDEN, F.R.S., seconded the motion, which was unanimously adopted.

Professor THOMSON responded.

Professor MCLEOD, F.R.S., proposed a vote of thanks to the Editor, Sub-Editor, and Abstractors, which was seconded by Dr. THORNE, and carried.

Mr. GROVES, F.R.S., responded.

Dr. J. Voelcker and Mr. Nagel were appointed scrutators, and a ballot was then taken for the election of Officers and Council for the

ensuing year. The following were subsequently declared duly

elected:

President: A. Vernon Harcourt, M.A., LL.D., D.C.L., F.R.S.

Vice-Presidents who have filled the office of President: Sir F. A. Abel, Bart., K.C.B., D.C.L., F.R.S.; H. E. Armstrong, LL.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.; A. Crum Brown, D.Sc., M.D., F.R.S.; W. Crookes, F.R.S.; E. Frankland, D.C.L., F.R.S.; Sir J. H. Gilbert, Ph.D., F.R.S.; J. H. Gladstone, Ph.D., F.R.S.; H. Müller, Ph.D., F.R.S.; W. Odling, M.B., F.R.S.; W. H. Perkin, LL.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.; Lord Playfair, K.C.B., Ph.D., F.R.S.; Sir H. E. Roscoe, LL.D., F.R.S.; W. J. Russell, Ph.D., F.R.S.; A. W. Williamson, LL.D., F.R.S.

Vice-Presidents: Horace T. Brown, F.R.S.; James Dewar, M.A., LL.D., F.R.S.; Francis Robert Japp, M.A., Ph.D., LL.D., F.R.S.; Ludwig Mond, F.R.S.; W. Chandler Roberts-Austen, C.B., F.R.S.; William A. Tilden, D.Sc., F.R.S.

Secretaries: John M. Thomson; Wyndham R. Dunstan, M.A.,

F.R.S.

Foreign Secretary: Raphael Meldola, F.R.S.

Treasurer: T. E. Thorpe, LL.D., F.R.S.

Other Members of Council: P. Philips Bedson, D.Sc.; Bennett Hooper Brough; Bernard Dyer, D.Sc.; Otto Hehner; Herbert McLeod, F.R.S.; H. Forster Morley, M.A.; G. Harris Morris, Ph.D.; James Wyllie Rodger; W. A. Shenstone; Arthur Smithells, B.Sc.; Thomas Stevenson, M.D.; Sydney Young, D.Sc., F.R.S.