the legal difficulties there would be in dealing with the collection in the absence of such rules.
The Society has issued, during the year, the tenth volume of the new series of its Transactions, Folk-Lore, which comprises, in addition to the more important papers read at the meetings, some smaller contributions, together with correspondence and reviews of folklore literature, both English and foreign, and a bibliography. It is a gratification to the Council to be able to draw attention to the enlarged size of the volume just completed, and (what is more important) to the valuable character of its contents. The Council cannot but feel that, in the present state of scientific inquiry, among the chief aims of such a publication should be the maintenance, not merely of a high standard of contents, but also of a wide and liberal interpretation of the term Folklore. In these respects, the Council would confidently appeal to the judgment of the Society, and urge the members to concur by their contribution of notes on matters coming under their observation, whether at home or abroad, in enhancing the value of the Transactions as a scientific record.
An illustrated catalogue of Professor Starr's collection of folklore objects from Mexico has been issued as the extra volume for 1898. It has been compiled by Professor Starr himself, to whom the Society owes a further debt of gratitude on this account. The extra volume for 1899, will be a further instalment of County Folk-Lore, which consists of folklore collected from printed sources. The following collections have been received, but the order of publication has not yet been determined:
(A) Northumberland, collected by Mrs. M. C. Balfour.
(B) The Orkneys and Shetlands, by Mr. G. F. Black.
(C) The North Riding of Yorkshire, by Mrs. Gutch.
Two or more of these will shortly be ready for press, and good progress is being made by other collectors. In response to the appeal made by the Council in the last
