XII JOURNAL OF PROCEEDINGS. 



The following letter was read : 



Princeion, N. J., January 9, 18SG. 

 To the Chancellor and Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution : 



Gentlemen : The undersigned, having been for seventeen years n 

 member of the Executive Committee, most respectfully requests of you 

 the favor to be released from further service on this committee. 



He makes this, request with the less reluctance, as he is confident 

 that his place upon the committee can be readily supplied. 

 With tbe highest respect, yours, 



John Maclean. 



On motion of Mr. Singleton, it was — 



Eesolved, That tbe resignation of Dr. Maclean from the Executive 

 Committee be accepted, and that General Montgomery C. Meigs be 

 elected to fill the vacancy. 



Ou motion of Dr. Gray, it was — 



Resolved, That Dr. James 0. Welling be, and he hereby is, appointed 

 chairman of the Executive Committee. 



Dr. Welling i)resented the report of the Executiv&Committee for the 

 six months ending 30th June, 1885, which was read. 



L n motion of Dr. Gray, it was — 



Resolved, That the report of the Executive Committee be accepted. 



The Secretary presented his report of the operations and condition 

 of the Institution for the six months ending 30th June, 1885, which, in 

 accordance with the instructions of the Board at its last meeting, had 

 been printed and distributed to the Eegents. 



On motion, it was — 



Resolved, That the report of the Secretary be received. 



The Secretary presented an exhibit of the finances of the Institution 

 for the year 1885, showing the receipts to have beeu $67,560.84, the 

 expenditures $45,102.77, leaving a balance on the 1st of January, 1886, 

 of $22,458.07. 



Dr. Welling stated that it was the understanding of the Executive 

 Committee that the Board required hereafter an annual report for the 

 fiscal year terminating on the 30th of June of each year, and that while 

 it had carefully examined all the accounts of the Institution to the be- 

 ginning of the year 1886 and had verified the statement exhibited by 

 the Secretary, it was not considered that a further report was called for 

 at the present time. 



The following letter was read : 



Washington, D. C, September 1, 1885. 

 Prof. Spencer, F. Baird, 



Secretary Smithsonian Institution : 

 Dear Sir: I am desirous of placing at least a portion of my prop- 

 erty, essentially all which is an inheritance from my father, in a posi- 

 tion in which it may be of permanent service for the advancement of 

 knowledge. I have always devoted so much of it as I did not need for 

 my maintenance and education to that purpose. It occurs to me that if 



