Several additions have been made to the Society's Library during the year, particulars of which have been duly noted in Folk-Lore.
The twenty-eighth volume of Folk-Lore has been issued during the year. The cost of paper and labour continues to increase by leaps and bounds, and the Council have again found it necessary to limit the size of the volume and to dispense as far as possible with illustrations. After providing for the ordinary expenses of the Society and the cost of publishing the volume there is a very narrow margin available for additional publications. In these circumstances the Council have thought it prudent to defer the issue of any additional volume until after the war, when they will be better able to take stock of the financial position of the Society. Much to their regret, no further progress has therefore been made at present with the negotiations with Mr. Ishii, referred to in their last report, for the publication of his valuable collection of the Folk Tales of Formosa.
The work of the Brand Committee is making steady progress, as will be seen from the Report of the Committee subjoined. In the early part of the year the Council made a grant of £25 to the Committee in order to enable them to secure additional paid labour, which was felt to be necessary if the work was to be completed within a reasonable period. Miss Burne has been energetic in discharging her duties as Secretary of the Committee, and the Council on behalf of the Society tender her and her co-workers their heartiest thanks.
Owing to the disorganization caused by the war, and the absence of both Mr. Sidgwick and Mr. Jackson on active service, no account has as yet been rendered of the sales of the Society's publications during the year, but there is no reason to believe that they have seriously diminished.
The Council desire once again to call attention to the fact that a considerable part of the salvage stock remains
