Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 9, 1898.djvu/50

26 sufficient supply of papers received or promised to ensure an interesting session and a volume of Transactions that will amply sustain the Society's reputation.

In the autumn of last year, Mr. E. Sidney Hartland, after attending the Meeting of the British Association at Toronto, visited Chicago, and there had the good fortune to meet with Professor Starr, who most generously offered to present to the Society's Museum a collection of objects fully illustrating the folklore of Mexico. The Professor made this offer subject to three conditions, viz.:—

(1) That the collection should be kept as a Mexican collection with the donor's name attached;

(2) That the Society should print an illustrated catalogue, the MS. for which he would prepare and pass through the press; and

(3) That at some time not more than from three to six months after the presentation, there should be a suitable display at some regular or special meeting of the Society, and that the catalogues should be ready for distribution by then.

The Council, feeling that this was an opportunity which ought not to be lost, at once accepted the offer, and informed Professor Starr that they would be prepared to issue the catalogue referred to by him as one of their series of publications; and they accordingly propose to issue it as the additional publication for 1898.

The Professor has started afresh for Mexico in order to complete his collections, and does not expect to complete the catalogue and despatch the objects to England before the autumn of 1898, so the Society can hardly enter into possession of his munificent gift until the end of this or the beginning of next year.

It may be necessary to postpone the issue of any further instalment of County Folklore until next year, but should there be such an increase of membership as to justify the Council in issuing two extra publications for 1898,