1884.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 325 



After the required foi-malities had been complied with, the 

 consent of the Court to the amendment applied for was 

 announced to the Academy at the meeting held January 22, 1884, 

 and at the following meeting, the thanks of the society were 

 tendered, by resolution, to Mr. Uselma C. Smith, its solicitor, 

 for his services in securing such action. 



Chapter I, Article 6, and Chapter XVI, Article 4, of the By- 

 Laws were amended by the meeting held October 28, as reported 

 at length under that date on page 261 of the Proceedings. 



On January 29, resolutions providing for an increase of the 

 building fund of the Academy, were adopted, and on February 19 

 a committee, consisting of Dr. W. S. W. Ruschenberger, Dr. Chas. 

 Schaffer, Mr. Geo. W. Trj'^on, Jr., Prof. Angelo Heilprin, and Dr. 

 Horace F. Jayne, with power to increase the number, was 

 appointed to carry the resolutions into effect. 



Resolutions expressive of the Academy's interest in biological 

 instruction, and urging the desirability of the endowment of 

 biological professorships in connection with the Society, were 

 adopted February 26. 



At the meeting held March 18, a communication from Dr. 

 William Pepper, proposing the establishment of a Biological 

 Institute, to be under the joint control of the University of 

 Pennsylvania and the Academy, was referred to the Council for 

 consideration and report. While the subject was still under con- 

 sideration, and before the Academy was called upon to take 

 definite action upon it, a letter was received from Dr. Pepper 

 acknowledging, on behalf of the Trustees of the University, the 

 courtesy with which their former communication had been 

 received, but expressing the belief that " it is, for the present at 

 least, wiser for the University to pursue independently the 

 development of the special field of biological work and teaching 

 devolving upon her." Further consideration of the desirability 

 of the proposed joint government was thereupon suspended, and 

 the operations of the Academy's Committee on Instruction were 

 carried on independently, as set forth in the reports of the 

 several professors herewith presented. 



Dr. Benjamin Sharp was elected Professor of Invertebrate 

 Zoology January 29, and delivered his inaugural lecture on 

 February 3. 



Dr. D. G. Brinton was elected Professor of Ethnology and 



