436 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1879. 



it under the direction of the curators, and by becoming under its 

 auspices practical, working naturalists. 



The importance of this purpose lies in the fact that initiatory 

 training and elementary instruction are indispensable to the 

 attainment of the highest grades of learning. 



The third named purpose, to diffuse knowledge, is carried out 

 by publishing a Journal, and the Proceedings of the Academy. 

 The Journal now consists of eight octavo and seven quarto vol- 

 umes : the fourth part of the eighth volume is in preparation. 

 The " Proceedings of the Academy" numbers thirty-one 8vo vol- 

 umes. During the year 385 pages have been printed. 



The entomological section of the Academy has published during 

 the year, more than two hundred pages of original matter, result- 

 ing from the researches of members of the section and others. 

 Their printing has been done by members of the section in the 

 hall of the Academy. 



It is proper to mention in this connection, "The Natural His- 

 toiy of the Agricultural Ant of Texas," a monograph of the 

 habits and architecture of Pogononrvrmex barbatus, by Henry 

 Christopher McCook, a member of the society, which has been 

 issued with the imprint and under the auspices of the Academy. 

 It is an octavo volume of 310 pages, illustrated by 24 plates. 



Also the " Manual of Conchology, Structural and Systematic, 

 with illustrations of the species," by George W. Try on, Jr., con- 

 servator of the conchological section of the Academy, published 

 by the author, and issued from the Academy. The first volume 

 has appeared during the year. It is an octavo volume of 316 

 pages, illustrated by 112 plates, embracing 671 figures skilfully 

 drawn by Dr. Edward J. Nolan, who is the Librarian and Record- 

 ing Secretary of the Society. 



Mr. Herman Strecker, of Reading, Pa., a member of the 

 Academy, has published an octavo volume of 284 pages on the 

 " Butterflies and Moths of North America," in the composition of 

 which, he found valuable facilities in the library of the Academy. 

 In the preface of his work he says : " I shall never forget, when 

 a little boy, how my heart bounded, when one day Professor 

 Joseph Leidy took me into the basement of the Philadelphia 

 Academy of Natural Sciences, and pointing to the books on en- 

 tomology, told me I had permission to examine their contents." 



The " Chronological History of Plants," a posthumous work 



