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24 year. The practice of illustrating papers has been extended, and considerably more space has been given to reviewing. The Council believe that both of these features are appreciated by readers of Folk-Lore, and they only await increase of the Society membership, and consequent increase of the publication fund, to still further develop them.

With regard to the extra volume for 1897, the Council have modified the programme foreshadowed in the last Annual Report. Miss Mary Kingsley, whose travels in West Africa have excited such widespread interest, kindly consented to select for publication a portion of the valuable material concerning the beliefs and popular literature of the Fiote or Fjort (natives of French Congo), collected and forwarded to the Society by Mr. R. E. Dennett, a West Coast resident of over twenty years' standing, and one of the few Europeans competent by mastery of the native idiom and intimate acquaintance with native thought to present a faithful picture of native lore. The Council are further indebted to Miss Kingsley for a valuable introduction which will be of much service to students.

Mr Dennett's work, which will largely fill the gap in our knowledge of the West African native existing between Colonel Ellis' classic studies of the Guinea Coast and Nigeria, and Mr. Heli Chatelain's account of Angola folk-lore, published by the American Folk-Lore Society, will form the extra volume for 1897, and will be sent as soon as possible to all Members, having paid their subscription for that year.

During the past year evening meetings have been held and papers read thereat as under:—

Jan. 19. President's Address.

Feb. 16. "The Story of Orendel." By Professor Ker.

March 16. "The Death and Burial of the Fiote." By R. E. Dennett.

"The Fetish View of the Human Soul." By Miss Mary Kingsley.