Ixxii Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



tions the higher will be the estimate which foreign institutions 

 will place upon us. 



All these things lead me to believe that the Public Museum 

 has come to stay, and that the time has come when, to adapt 

 a phrase of Lincoln's, not only Governments, but Museums, 

 " of the people, by the people and for the people, shall not 

 perish from the earth." 



The Toastmaster: — 



We have also another visitor from another State ; Dr. L. H. 

 Pammel, who represents the Iowa Academy of Science. 



Professor Pammel : — 



Mr. Toastmaster: — The Iowa Academv of Science brings 

 greetings to its sister Academy on the occasion of her fiftieth 

 anniversary. The St. Louis Academy is the oldest Academy 

 of Science in the Mississippi Valley. I believe it is not boast- 

 ful when the statement is made that from the view point of 

 achievements it has accomplished as much as any similar body 

 in the United States. St. Louis owes much to the Academy. 

 For more than a quarter of a century it was the guiding spirit 

 of scientific thought in this vast empire tributary to St. 

 Louis. The world at large learned of the scientific activities 

 through its proceedings and more and more we have come to 

 look for the announcement of valuable discoveries in its 

 pages. The Iowa Academy more and more feels the obliga- 

 tion it owes to the Academy of St. Louis in starting centers 

 of scientific research. 



In our own State we have the Davenport Academy, which 

 has a scope similar to your organization. At first sight it 

 may seem to many that in a State like Iowa there is not room 

 for two organizations. The Davenport Academy has also 

 had a long and honorable career. The work of the Iowa 

 Academy has been largely local in its character, and properly 

 so. The funds for the publication of its proceedings are 

 borne by the State. Its citizens have therefore a right to ask 

 that we confine our work largely to local problems. 



Scattered over the State are many small colleges, and in 



