62 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 
Rogers. ‘These were Professor Stephen Alexander (died June 
25, 1883), Major-General J. G. Barnard, U.S. A. (died May 14, 
1882), Dr. John L. LeConte, entomologist (died November rs, 
1883), and Admiral John Rodgers, Superintendent of the U. S. 
Naval Observatory (died May 5, 1882). Of the incorporators 
twenty others had died prior to 1883, and thus twenty years after 
its organization the Academy had lost one-half of its original 
membership.” 
The second volume of the Memoirs of the Academy, contain- 
ing four papers, was transmitted to Congress with the report for 
1883, and was published in 1884. With the report for 1884 was 
transmitted the first part of the third volume of the Memoirs, 
containing eight papers. The second part of this volume was 
printed in 1886, but many of the plates belonging to it were 
burned, and the distribution was delayed. It was not issued until 
July, 1887. The completed volume contains seventeen papers. 
Commenting on the fact that the first part of the third volume 
of Memoirs had been ordered printed by Congress, the President 
of the Academy remarked in his report for 1884: 
“T congratulate the Academy that the precedent for the publication by the 
Government of both the annual report and an accompanying volume of memoirs 
is now fairly established, and it alone remains for the members of the Academy to 
do their part in presenting their memoirs ready for publication each year in time 
to accompany the report to Congress.” 4° 
A total eclipse of the sun occurred on May 6, 1883, and was 
visible in the South Pacific Ocean. It was of special interest to 
* Two of the fifty incorporators withdrew from membership soon after the Academy was 
organized. One of these was Rear-Admiral John A. Dahlgren. The following extracts 
from his published diaries relate to the incident: 
“March ro [1863].—I omitted to mention that Congress had incorporated ‘a National 
Academy of Science,’ with fifty Corporators, of which I was one. This measure, from which 
should proceed a great institution, is due solely to Mr. Wilson, Senator from Massa- 
chusetts-g-ncwee 
“May 14 [1863].—I sent my resignation as a member of the National Academy of 
Sciences to Professor Bache, who had been elected President of the Academy. Next day 
he replied, requesting me not to insist, that I would be excused from the service, &c. 
“But on the 18th May I wrote to him adhering to my determination.” (Memoir of 
John A. Dahlgren, by Madeleine V. Dahlgren, 1882, pp. 389, 394.) 
“Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. 1, p. 255. 
