xlvii 



the friends of Science in St. Louis to base our institution, which we have 

 carried on through a quarter of a century, contending with difficulties and 

 adversities — to base it, I say, on a permanent foundation, promising a 

 prosperous future. 



The members of the Academy consist now of 2 Life and 104 Associate 

 Members. During the year 4 new members have been added ; 3 we have 

 lost by death, and 4 by resignation or removal. 



The Treasurer reports an income of $7 10. 20 during the past year, 

 $216.39 of which were donated to the Academy by the Committee of 

 Reception of the American Association of Science, being a surplus from 

 the fund collected for the meeting of August, 1878, in this city. The 

 expenses, principally for printing, were $554.49; so that, with the balance 

 of the year before ($105.83), we have now in the treasury remaining 

 $261 14. 



The Corresponding Secretary reports 174 Corresponding Members now 

 living, as far as ascertained, one only having been added during the year. 



The whole number of our foreign exchange list is now 245, and of our 

 home list no, together 355, to whom we send our publications and from 

 whom we receive theirs, mainly through the mediation of the Smithsonian 

 Institution, without which such an intercourse would be nearly impossible. 



The Librarian reports an addition to our library during the past year 

 of 318 volumes, 836 pamphlets and parts of volumes, and 186 sheets, loose 

 maps, etc. 



The first number of the fourth volume of our Transactions is nearly 

 through the press and will be issued in a feyv^ weeks. It is believed that it 

 will furnish valuable addition to the scientific literature of the day. 



I am sure that I express the sense of every member of our Academy, 

 when I ofter my heartfelt thanks to the officers, my colleagues, and espe- 

 ciallv to our efficient Secretaries, both the Corresponding as well as the 

 Recording Secretary, and express the hope that they may permit us to 

 continue them in their laborious trusts. 



As for myself I thank you heartily for your continued confidence, but 

 wish that you would select a younger and more efficient person to preside 

 over your Institution. 



Mr. F, E. Nipher then made the following communication on 



THE ELECTRIC LIGHT. 



In the Philosophical Journal for January, 1879, Mr. W. H. Preece gives 

 a discussion in which he shows the condition to be supplied in electric 

 lighting, in order to obtain a maximum effect. Starting with equation 2, 

 p. 31, we have for the heat distributed to the incandescent material, 



'(f + r+n' 

 where p represents the battery resistance, r the resistance of connecting 

 wires, and I the resistance of a single lamp. 



