76 Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts, and Letters. 



parallel columns with their occupations and nationalities, but 

 also annually to return abstracts to the secretary of state, who 

 might then issue condensed statements which would be highly 

 useful to students of social science. 



Whether this Academy should take any steps toward so 

 materially altering our whole system of matrimonial records 

 is one question. It is quite another whether its members 

 should at once agitate the omission of the word ^^coloi-," the 

 insertion of the word '^age" and the exchange of the phrase 

 ^^ consummated,^^ for '^ solemnized,^^ in the existing forms of 

 record, and whether these forms should not mention the occu- 

 pation, birthplace and residence of the wife as well as of the 

 husband. Possibly a statement whether previously married 

 or unmarried, might also be required with advantage. 



