16 Wiscoiisin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



make permanent provision for the annual printing and publi- 

 cation of the Academy's Transactions.* 



Of the Several Departments. 



The department of Speculative Philosophy was only organ- 

 ized at the late annual meeting, and has, of course, had no 

 development. It is represented, however, by interesting and 

 valuable papers in the collections herewith presented. 



The department of the Social and Political Sciences has 

 yielded results of importance, though but few, considering the 

 great breadth of its range and the large number of persons 

 who might with reason be expected to give it the benefit of 

 their services. Embracing Education, Health, Social Econ- 

 omy, Political Economy and Jurisprudence, it presents a 

 variety of distinct fields of great interest and practical im- 

 portance for the scientific inquiry of nearly every class of 

 intelligent citizens, and should be instrumental of much good 

 by directing public attention to errors of principle and practice 

 in social life and governmental affairs, as well as in contribut- 

 ing something to the progress of social science itself 



The department of the Natural Sciences continues to hold 

 its precedence as the most active and productive section of the 

 academy. Its membership includes a considerable number of 

 professors connected with the State University, Lawrence 

 University, Beloit College, the State Normal Schools, and 

 other institutions of learning, besides many scientific gentle- 

 men not so connected. It is worthy of remark that some of 

 these have not only been willing to give to the academy the 

 time necessary to the solution of important scientific problems, 

 but also to expend considerable sums of money in order to 

 the making of original observations and studies in the open 

 field of nature. 



* Since the writing of this report, the legislature has, by unanimous consent, made 

 provision, in the new law relating to public printing, for the future biennial publication, 

 of the Transactions, in uuifonu style with the first volume. 



