THE ROYAL AIICHAKOLOOICAL INSTITUTE. .'i71>

jtistified in ffiviiig tlioir assent — the revival fura |particular purpose of ono of those Special Kxliiltitiuns wliicli were iiumy years ago so successfully iuaujj^iu'ated and carried out l)y the enerjjy and cordial co-operation of the Members of the Institute, and which contributed so largely to the feeling which has made somewhat similar 'Exhibitions' a jjroniineut feature of modern times — has been lately Ijrought to a satisfactory termina- tion by the publication in the pages of the 'Journal ' of a ' Catalogue of a Loan tJoUection of Books printed before IGOO.' The contj-iinitions of her Most Gracious Majesty and of many distinguished persoiLS to that Loan Collection, and the publication of the able discourse given by the Principal Lil)rarian and Secretary of the British Museum upon the subject as mainly illustrated by the examples of early and rare typography then brought together, are circumstances of so gratifying a character as seem to call for the special acknowledgment of the Council of the Institute.' And while the character of the literary contriljutions to the Journal have during the past year been such as fully to sustain its previously high character, the Council desire that the members generally should be acquainted with the fact that the large amount of illustrations that have often accompanied those contributions have been furnisiiedby the lilierality and friendiv help of the Hon. Mr. Owen Stanley, of Mr. Fortnuni, and Mr. Albert' Way. " In connection also with the subject of the advantages and utility of the ' Journal ' of the Institute, the Council desire to draw attention to the progress of a scJienie for a ' General Index ' to the first twenty volumes, which has been most kindly undertaken by the energy and industry of various membei's. Several of those members have completed their portions of the self-allotted task, and so large has been the number who have promised to subscribe to the special expenses necessarily inci- dental to such a work, that its satisfactory progress is now ensured, and its completion will not be nnuecessarily delayed. " Co-operation with public bodies of a kindred character has always beeu one of the leading principles of your Institute, and during the past year several circumstances have occurred showing the propriety of such a course of i)roceeiling and its pleasant and agreeable resvdts. The rescue from utter ruin of the noble Chapter House of Westminster Abbey, which was mainly owing to the action of the Society of Antiquaries and of mcmi)ers of this Institute, was the occasion of a recent and gratifying demonstra- tion witiiin its walls, under the presidency of one of the distinguished Vice-Presidents of the Institute, the Veiy Rev. the Dean of Westminster. On that occasion one of your Hon. Secretaries had the opportunity afforded him of giving an account of the comparatively unknown muni- ments of that distinguished foundation, which it is hoped will shortly appear in the pages of the 'Journal' of the Institute." '•The special excursion of membci-s of the Institute and their friends from the metropolis to visit Guildford, only a few weeks since, is another agreeable circumstance, presenting a forecast of t>thcrs of a similar kind, iu which it may be hoped that the noble structures of St. Alban's, Waltham, and other places may be the subjects of similar interesting discourses. The subject of the ]>rosecution of investigations upon the site of the Temple of Diana at Ephesus was brought before the members of the ' Pi intcil at p. 1 35 of Uiis volume. VOL. XXIX. 3 H