JOURNAL 



OF THE 



Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society. 



REPORT OF THE RESIDENT VICE-PRESIDENT 

 FOR THE YEAR i886-'87. 



J. A. HOLMES. 



The Society has now completed the fourth year of its 

 existence. And the result of its work during the past year, 

 and of the three years preceding, afford the assurance that 

 it may be now regarded as a permanent institution. Kind 

 words of encouragement have come in from eminent sources; 

 applications for the Journals of the Society have increased in 

 number; the society has now on its exchange list Journals 

 of many of the more prominent societies of the United States, 

 and of several foreign societies; and there has been a steady 

 improvement in the extent and character of the original in- 

 vestigations being carried on by members of the Society. 



It is worthy of mention, too, that the system of public lec- 

 tures which was inaugurated at the State University by this 

 Society has been adopted by other institutions in this and 

 adjacent States. And the Secretary of this Society has been 

 in correspondence with gentlemen connected with other 

 Southern institutions who intend organizing similar Societies. 

 We may believe, then, that this humble beginning made here 

 less than four years ago, is doing something to awaken a 

 new activity in scientific work not only in our own State but 

 also in other Southern States. 



The following summary will exhibit in a general way the 



