Our foreign exchanges have been effected, in the usual manner, through 

 the Smithsonian Institution; though we receive many publications by 

 mail also. 



Besides the regular course of exchange of annual publications from all 

 correspondents, vi^hich are numerous and important, we have received this 

 year the valuable Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy of Dublin, 

 comprising vols. xxiv. to xxvii., Pt. i, and the Proceedings, vols, i., 2d 

 series, to iii.. No. 1, 1877; and from the Royal Academy of Sciences of 

 Lisbon its Memoirs, vols. iv. and v., together with the "Portugalise Monu- 

 menta Historica," the " Historia da India," the " Historia dos Estableci- 

 mentos de Portugal," and other publications of much value, in several 4to 

 and 8vo volumes. We have continued to receive the many large and valu- 

 able scientific volumes and Atlases published under the directions of the 

 Department of the Interior at Washington, and of the office of Chief of 

 Engineers, U. S. A. Among these, the Geology of the 40th Parallel, by 

 Clarence King, U. S. Geologist, with a splendid Atlas of Maps, and the 

 Reports of the U. S. Geological and Geographical Survey of the Western 

 Territories, by Dr. F. V. Hayden, U. S. Geologist, are worthy of special 

 mention. 



During the year, seven additional Societies have been added to our For- 

 eign Exchange list, and four to the Home list. The Foreign list now com- 

 prises 235 names, and the Home list 107 names. The exchanges we are 

 annually receiving from all correspondents are making a constant and 

 important addition to our Library, which, at the present time, contains 

 doubtless the largest collection of scientific publications to be found in the 

 Mississippi Valley. It is safely kept and sufficiently accessible, though 

 not so conveniently as might be desirable ; and in all the future it must 

 constitute a body of scientific literature which will be of great importance 

 to all who are engaged in scientific researches among us, and for general 

 reference. 



We are under great obligations to the Board of St. Louis Public Schools 

 for the safe accommodation which they furnish for our library, cabinets, 

 and place of meeting in the Polytechnic Building, free of any considerable 

 expense to the Academy. Whenever the Academy shall become perma- 

 nently established in a suitable building of its own, erected and arranged 

 for its special purposes, the operations of the institution will be still more 

 effectually carried on, and its usefulness may be greatly increased. 



The list of Corresponding Members, at the present time, comprises 

 about 132 names of members who are still living so far as yet known. Two 

 names have been added to the list during the past year. 



The prospect now is, that the Committee on Publication may soon be- 

 gin the printing for another number of the Transactions, whicli may be 

 issued in a few months. 



I submit herewith my account of the receipts and expenditures of this 

 office for the year 187S, 



