1 882. 125 Tratis. N. V. Ac. Scz. 



Council had been held during the year. The papers and communica- 

 tions presented at the meetings had been very varied and valuable. 

 Besides five public lectures, fifty-five formal communications had been 

 made before the Society, which might be classified generally as follows : 

 Archaeology, 2 ; Biology, 3 ; Chemistry, 4 ; Geology, 18 ; Mineralogy, 

 17; Physics, II. The average attendance at twenty-four meetmgs 

 had been forty. 



There had been added to the resident membership during the year, 

 twenty-six persons ; fourteen had resigned, and two had died — JOHN 

 W. Draper, M. D., LL. D., and Alexander L. Holley, E. M. 



The Secretary suggested the propriety of further efforts to enlarge 

 the membership of the Academy. 



In the absence of the Librarian (Dr. Elsberg) the President ad- 

 dressed the meeting in reference to the library, reporting the great 

 amount of v/ork that has been done during the past two years, in ar- 

 ranging, cataloguing, and binding the books and pamphlets. The 

 heavy expenses involved in this most necessary and important work 

 have severely taxed the Academy's finances ; but as the work is now 

 substantially done, and the chief expenses over, the Society is to be 

 most heartily congratulated m the matter. The great and valuable 

 library is now, for the first time in many years, brought into a satis- 

 factory condition ; and having permanent quarters in a positively fire- 

 proof building, its security and utility are assured. 



Prof. Thomas Egleston reported further in the same strain, in 

 behalf of the Library Committee. He presented to the Society the 

 question of employing a paid librarian, which was referred to the 

 Council ; and announced that the arrangements were so far completed 

 in reference to the binding and arranging^ of the books, that the 

 library would be formally opened for use by June. 



The Corresponding Secretary, Dr. A. R. Leeds, presented his re- 

 port, relative to the correspondence of the Academy during the year. 



Prof. D. S. Martin presented the report of the Committee on Pub- 

 lications. The " Annals " of the Academy had been carried on as 

 usual — Nos. 5 and 6, of Volume H, having been issued before the 

 summer adjournment of the Society ; and Nos 7 and 8, which had 

 been unavoidably delayed, being nearly through the press, and very 

 soon to appear. Besides this, a large amount of labor had been ex- 

 pended during the summer and fall of 1881, in the preparation and 

 issue of the Index to Volume I. 



The publication of a journal of the Academy's meetings, with the 

 briefer papers and discussions, which had been so long desired and 

 aimed at, had finally been undertaken in the printing of the Trans- 



