44 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1896. 



MATERIAL RECEIVED FOR EXAMINATION AND REPORT. 



There liiive been 542 lots of material of various kinds received dur- 

 iuj;- the year for identiticatioii. These were included between Xos. 

 ;iL'3(» and 3777, and represent an increase of 75 over the receipts of 

 the preceding fiscal year. A detailed list of these sendings, arranged 

 alphabetically by the names of the persons transmitting the material, 

 is printed in Appendix vi. 



MEETINGS OF ASSOCIATIONS IN WASIIIN(iTON DURING THE YEAR.. 



On September 5, 1895, the Society of Agricultural Chemists met in 

 the lecture hall of the Museum. The sessions extended over three 

 days. 



The American Ornithologists' Union met on November 12 and held 

 three sessions on that day and the day following. 



The eleventh annual meeting of the American Historical Association 

 was held in Washington on December 2(1 and 27.' 



On January 2, 189G, the second annual meeting of the National 

 Science Club opened.' 



A lecture was delivered in the oftice of tlie Assistant Secretary, on 

 March 10, by Rear Admiral S. Makaroff, of the Russian Navy, on '' The 

 specific gravity of the waters of the North Pacific Ocean." 



The National Academy of Sciences has for some years held its annual 

 meeting in the Museum building. The sessions for the xjresent year 

 lasted from April 21 to 24. Tiie business meetings were held in one of 

 the otlices and the lectui^e hall was used for the public meetings.' 



A lecture to the pupils of the High School of Washington on 

 "India" was delivered in the lecture hall of the Museum on May 22 

 by Mr. IT. N. Wilson. 



The Saturday lectures were continued during the season of 1896 

 under the auspices of the joint commission of the scientific societies of 

 Washington. The subjects of these lectures are given in Appendix 

 VII. ISIany of the lectures were illustrated by the stereopticon, and 

 others by maps, diagrams, and specimens. The series delivered during 

 this year was arranged with a view to illustrating the relations of 

 life to environment. Two courses were provided, the first i)ertaining 

 chietiy to vegetal and aninuil life, the second to human life in its rela- 

 tions to lower organisms and to the inorganic world. The five lectures 

 constituting the second course were printed in the Appendix to the 

 Rei)ort of the Smithsonian Institution for 1895. 



' A list of the papers submitted is printed iu Appendix vii. 



