570 TRANS. OF THE ACAD. OF SCIENCE. 



dred and fifty to three hundred dollars more. These surplus expenses 

 have heretofore been partly lessened by publishing one number of the 

 Transactions only every second or even third year, and to a great part 

 they have been borne, as before stated, by voluntary extra contributions 

 of members; but if we intend to publish one number every year, as we 

 ought to in justice to our correspondents, we must try to raise about 

 eight hundred dollars annually more than we do now. Our present debt 

 amounts to near six hundred dollars, due principally to the Republican 

 office, which has treated us with great liberality, but ought to be paid 

 before we can proceed with the publication of another number. As an 

 offset, our Treasurer exhibits thirty-seven dollars in cash, and available 

 accounts against members amounting to about one hundred and twenty- 

 five dollars. 



An urgent claim is also made on our exchequer by the Librarian, of 

 which I will have to speak below. 



After an interval of three years we have, in May last, published an- 

 other number (the second number of the second volume) of our Trans- 

 actions and distributed it to our paying members, to the institutions with 

 whom we exchange, and to subscribers. A third number which would 

 close the second volume is in part in the hands of the printer, and will, if 

 means can be procured, be issued by May next. 



The number of our active paying members is at present 68, 12 of which 

 have joined us during the past year. Some of the older members have 

 declined further to act with us, and two, Drs. Hayward and Roesch, have 

 been removed from among us by death. We have now 140 correspond- 

 ing members, only three of whom were elected the past year. 



A diploma and seal have been finished, and duly authenticated diplomas 

 have been issued to all the members, active or corresponding, who de- 

 sired it. 



We correspond and exchange with 74 societies and individuals in the 

 United States and Canada, and our foreign exchange list now exhibits 

 170 names of societies and academies, among them those of the oldest 

 standing and highest renown, who send us their voluminous and import- 

 ant publications in exchange for our transactions. 



As heretofore, the Smithsonian Institution, unrivalled in this respect 

 in any country, has been the gratuitous mediator between these foieign 

 institutions and our Academy. Principally through these exchanges, 

 and also from donations, our library possesses now 1581 volumes and 

 843 pamphlets, together 2424, which have been arranged and made acces- 

 sible and useful through the zealous and intelligent labors of our Libra- 

 rian, Dr. G. Baumgarten. You will find a more detailed account of the 

 treasures of our library in his report, and will not neglect, I hope, his 

 suggestion, that the largest part of our books, being unbound and mostly 

 in detached numbers, ought to be well bound, so as to prevent loss and 

 oeterioration. He reports that at least one thousand volumes are in that 

 condition, which, to bind, would involve an expense of at least five hun- 

 dred dollars. As I have stated above, our overburdened exchequer will 

 not be able to bear this expense, and we must, if you resolve to snatch 

 these valuable, and, to a great extent, unreplaceable, works from other- 

 wise inevitable loss, call on the liberality of members and well-wishers 

 of our institution for the nece.-sary aid. 



Our collections have been enriched during the past year, in the differ- 

 ent departments of Zoology, Botany, Mineralogy and Geology. Among 

 the former, 1 only mention a collection of shells, from the coast of the 

 Gulf of Mexico, from the Smithsonian Institute; in botany a standard 

 collection of carices from Dr. H. P. Sartwell, and in geology, Mr. G. 

 C Broadhead's collection from the western parts of this State. 



To the societies of Portland, Maine, and Chicago, Illinois, who had 

 met with heavy losses by fire, donations of duplicates from our collec- 

 tions have been made. 



In the meetings of the Academy the following papers, besides numer- 

 ous smaller communications, were read: 



