December, 1S43.J 339 



Society of do. ; Linnean Society of do. ; L'lnstitute Royale de France ; 

 Ecole Royale des Mines, at Paris; Societe Entomologique de Paris; The 

 Royal Society of Edinburg ; L'Academie Royale des Sciences, Stockholm ; 

 L'Academie Royale des Sciences et Belles Lettres, Brussels ; Academia 

 de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid ; L'Accademia Reale delle Scienze, Turin ; 

 Societe Imperialedes Naturalistesde Moscou; Royal Academy of Sciences 

 of Berlin; Academy of Sciences of St. Petersburg; Royal Academy of 

 Sciences of Munich ; Royal Botanical Society, Ratisbon; Asiatic Society 

 of Bengal ; and the Egyptian Society at Cairo. 



The domestic Societies are as follows : 



American Philosophical Society; Franklin Institute; Philadelphia 

 Athenaeum ; Albany Institute ; New York Lyceum of Natural History ; 

 Natural History Society of Boston ; National Institute at Washington ; 

 Franklin Society of Providence, Rhode Island ; U. S. Naval Lyceum at 

 Brooklyn ; and Northern Academy of Arts and Sciences at Hanover, New 

 Hampshire. 



Letters of acknowledgement of the reception of the Proceedings by these 

 Societies, and by numerous Correspondents, are constantly read before 

 you. 



In short, the reputation of this Institution has been greatly enhanced 

 since the adoption of this mode of publishing periodically an account of 

 its Transactions, and the propriety of its continuance cannot be ques- 

 tioned. 



Three alterations in the By-Laws have been made during the present 

 year. The first reduces the amount of the Initiation fee from $10 to $5, 

 and the second reduces the amount of a life subscription from $80 to 50. 

 Both of these alterations have been in contemplation for a length of time, 

 but no action determined on until within the last few months, when the 

 expediency and even necessity of adopting them were so obvious as not to 

 admit of longer delay. The third alteration requires of Correspondents 

 residing within the United States, elected after the 31st of January, 1843, 

 a small diploma fee. This is a measure which the Society is justly en- 

 titled to adopt, and is only in accordance with the usage of most Institu- 

 tions of a similar character. The demand has been cheerfully complied 

 with in every instance where the receipt of his notice of election has been 

 acknowledged by a Correspondent. 



Between the 1st of January and the 1st of December of this year the 

 Academy has added eleven new Members and twenty-one Correspondents 

 to its list. Of the latter, twelve reside in the United States, and nine 

 are foreign. The number of members elected is nearly double the average 

 of the three preceding years. 



The finances of the Academy are in a most favourable condition, as the 

 Report of the Treasurer will show. The right of way to a small portion 

 of the lot in the rear of the building, was disposed of in the early part of 

 the year for the sum of $660, to the holders of the adjoining property. 

 The offer was an advantageous one to the Academy, and was promptly ac- 

 cepted by it. A heavy ground rent held by the original owners of the lot 

 on which this building is erected, has been recently paid off by the next 

 purchaser. This is a source of some gratification to the Academy, as re- 



46 



