PROMOTION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 35 



weeks succeeding the commencement of the session; and thereafter 

 one member shall be nominated every week, to read in his turn, until 

 the session is ended." 



The minutes record the proceedings of 177 meetings, but there 

 were many meeting dates on which no quorum appeared, especially 

 during the later part of the life of the society, when there were some- 

 times as few as two meetings in the course of a year instead of twelve. 

 A large number of those recorded were, moreover, adjourned and 

 special meetings. It would also appear that the meetings generally 

 were made but little interesting, having been mostly devoted to such 

 business matters as the election of members and officers, finances, 

 resolutions, and reports on the botanic garden, cabinet, library, meet- 

 ing places, etc. The number of papers actually read was relatively 

 very small, and so few accessions both of specimens and books were 

 recorded in the minutes as to make it appear that this character of 

 information was not generally entered in that connection. They 

 w«re supposed, however, to be reported in the National Intelligencer. 



At one meeting in 1817, 30 members were recorded as present; at 

 54 meetings the number ranged from 10 to 24 ; while at all the others 

 the attendance was only from 5 to 9 for each. At anniversary and 

 memorial meetings for public addresses, several of which were held 

 in the hall of the House of Representatives, a considerable attendance 

 is generally noted, including members of Congress, military and 

 civilian officers of the Government, members of the diplomatic corps, 

 ladies and the public generally, and music was sometimes furnished. 

 Reference is also made to annual dinners of the members, and in a 

 few instances to the serving of refreshments at meetings. 



It is interesting to note here that, on April 7, 1828, Col. John 

 Trumbull returned thanks to the Institute for the use of the hall in 

 the Capitol, which had been granted him for the purpose of com- 

 pleting his national pictures, 1 and that, on December 24, 1836, Mr. 

 John Vanderlyn was given permission to occupy the hall for paint- 

 ing his rotunda panel. At the beginning of 1830 the hall was also 

 utilized for a medical convention. 



Communications. — The minutes record 85 papers presented by 26 

 members, which, with very few exceptions, were entered only by 

 title. Not more than one appears to have been published by the 

 Institute, and as but a small number in manuscript form are con- 

 tained among the papers now available, it is impossible to judge as 

 a whole of the merits of this part of the society's proceedings. 



The principal contributor was William Lambert, with 44 original 

 communications, astronomical and mathematical, many of which 



*The work here referred to was the drying of the four paintings and their 

 treatment with a composition to prevent further damage from moisture. 



