482 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1881. 



to hearty acknowledgment because Aolimtarily given. It has 

 not been possible to give them a pecuniary acknowledgment of 

 their services worthy of any notice in a report. The hope is 

 expressed, that the liberality and justice of those interested in thi& 

 department of the Academy's work, will enable the committee to 

 make a more favorable report in this respect upon the operations 

 of next winter.'" 



The committee has announced that early in January, 1882, 

 Professor Lewis will begin a course of 25 lectures on Mineralogy, 

 and Professor Heilprin a course of from 25 to 30 lectures on 

 Invertebrate PalaBontology. 



The institution of these lectures is based on a suiDposition, a 

 conjecture that there are many persons in the community who 

 desire to be systematically taught such branches as are not included 

 in academic or college courses, or if included, not generally 

 accessible to those who are interested only in subjects proposed 

 to be taught here, and that those persons are in number sufficient 

 to warrant and sustain the enterprise. Experience will be required 

 to determine whether or not the conjecture is well-founded, 

 because the nature and character of the instruction given here is 

 not likely to be generally known or appreciated in the community 

 in a trial of less than two or three years. If, at the end of a third 

 course, it should be found that the number attracted to these 

 courses is not large enough to compensate the professors, it is 

 not reasonable to suppose that they will be willing to continue 

 their labors, which are certainly very considei'able, without ade- 

 quate substantial remuneration. When it becomes manifest that 

 the demand for systematic and practical instruction is not suffi- 

 cient to warrant or encourage work of this kind, it will be suspended. 

 Then the professors will be free to devote their time to original 

 investigations exclusively, provided that means of livelihood are 

 supplied by endowment or otherwise. 



On the other hand, if the admission fees are sufficient to main- 

 tain the lectures and lecturers, other S3^stematic courses of instruc- 

 tion will pi'obably be undertaken and continued as long as they 

 are supported, and thus the Academy, which has been heretofore 

 mainly a repertory of means and resources for the use of those 

 who seek to instruct themselves, may also become efficient in 



' The total amount of fees for admission <o the lectures was $151, and 

 of thjB incidental expenses, $52.27 



