316 TROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1883. 



several societies from which we have not received anything for 

 more than five j'ears having been dropped, while a nnmber hereto- 

 fore omitted have been added. It has alwa3's been the practice of 

 the society to send its publications to a number of important 

 foreign Universities and town libraries, situated in places not 

 otherwise in receipt of the Proceedings and Journal, so that 

 students everywhere ma}'^ be able to inform themselves of the 

 Academy's contributions to science. These intellectual centres 

 have been supplied with the curient numbers of the Proceedings 

 as usual. 



A circular distributed to corresponding societi( s in July, asking 

 them to send their publications to the Academy by post, in 

 exchange for a lilce prompt transmission on our part, has not 

 been productive of as much result as was hoped for. An early 

 distribution of the Proceedings is, however, of so much import- 

 ance, both to the contributors and to the society at large, that 

 each number will be mailed, hereafter, to exchanges as well as to 

 subscribers, as soon as possible after its issue from the press. 



The average attendance at the meetings during the year has 

 been thirtj-one. Verbal communications have been made by 

 twenty-six members and two guests. Much the greater number 

 of these have been prepared by the authors for publication in the 

 Proceedings, and form not the least important part of the annual 

 volume, while abstracts were made for the public press of those 

 which could at all be regarded as of popular interest. 



Art. 6, Chap. X, of tlie By-Laws was amended on November 2T 

 by striking out from the first line the word " onlj'," and from the 

 second and third lines the words " obtain permission to." Art. 

 6, Chap. XI, was amended at the same meeting by striking out ail 

 after the word '' public " in the second line, and inserting in lieu 

 thereof "daily, except Sunday, and at least one day in the week 

 without charge on such conditions and under such regulations as 

 the Council shall establish from time to time." 



Dr. Ruschenberger having been elected a Curator at the annual 

 election in 1882, there b}" became ex-officio a member of the 

 Council ; Mr. Charles Morris was elected to fill the vacancy thus 

 created in tlie latter bod3\ At the meeting of the Council held 

 Pebruary 17, the Curator-in-charge, Mr. Chas. F. Parker, was 

 granted a month's leave of absence in consequence of an indispo- 

 sition, which it was then lioped was but temporar}'. It was found 



