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Rh Society, and which contained so many important suggestions.

Recognising, therefore, as we do, the needs of folk-lore, there is not much doubt as to what the duty of the Society is in the future. Folk-lore of late years has become popular, and is becoming more so; and, this being the case, we find there is much that can now be accomplished by the private student through publishers, which in the past could only have been accomplished by the Society. Such a state of things is one of the surest indications of the Society's success in the past. And it points to a defining line for its work in the future. In the admirable bibliography given in our Journal, we are made acquainted with the folk-lore that does not pass through our own hands. Whatever work publishers will now undertake, therefore, the Society should gladly leave to their care. But there is a large balance of very necessary work which can only be taken up by the Society, and which, in my humble judgment, should be taken up at once in a comprehensive manner. We want to get at the statistics of folk-lore. We want definite plans laid down upon every branch of work which needs to be done, the order in which it is required, the form which it is to take, the methods of obtaining the co-operation of all our working members. Some of this has been begun, some of it has been neglected, some of it has not been attempted. The organisation of County Committees is still an unfinished plan of the Council. Complete and exhaustive bibliography is another subject which needs almost immediate attention at our hands. The English portion of it was begun by myself soon after the Society started; another department of it has been taken in hand by Mr. Kirby. My ideal of the work of the Society in the future is, I am afraid, not a very exhilarating one, and is certainly devoid of the fascination and enchantment which our distinguished President has given to folk-lore study generally, and to his utterances from this chair. But I am earnest in my contention that