2 IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE 



and some seventy-five or eighty applications for membership have been re- 

 ceived. It is advisable that action be taken to meet the increased demand. 

 The number of copies available for distribution to legislators, to libraries and 

 for exchange is large enough so that some of these might be put into better 

 binding for the members. The number of copies of Vol. XVI sent to members 

 was 160; to libraries, 225; exchanges, approximately 165. 



The report of the annual meeting of the Academy as sent to Science for 

 publication could be made more complete and more valuable, by the presence 

 of brief abstracts of the papers presented. It is hardly the province of the 

 secretary to prepare such abstracts nor can he do it as well as the authors. 

 This year thirty-five titles have been received, seven of which were accompanied 

 by abstracts. Another abstract was sent in later than the title, too late to 

 appear on the program. 



The request is made that authors wanting extra reprints make out their 

 orders direct to the state printer. These orders may be sent to the printer 

 or to the secretary who will turn them over to the printer. The reason 

 for this request is that the Academy is in no way responsible for the payment 

 of bills for the extra reprints. It is entirely a private matter between the 

 author and the printer. 



Members not infrequently change their addresses without notifying the 

 secretary. This gives rise to difficulty in sending communications. 



Recently in conversation with one of the officers of the Iowa Association 

 of Mathematics teachers, the statement was made to the effect that the As- 

 sociation would willingly appoint a committee to consult with a committee 

 from the Academy concerning the feasibility of a union of the two organiza- 

 tions. The consideration of the appointment of such a committee is suggested. 



A short time previous to the meeting in 1908 the president of the Academy 

 suggested the advisability of not giving a presidential address. The members 

 with whom he consulted were in favor of continuing the custom. It will be 

 well to consider the question carefully before departing from the established 

 custom. 



The president has raised the question as to the advisability of continuing 

 the existence of the council. If there be any reason for its continuance, 

 then let us not amend the constitution. But for some years the actions of 

 that body have been perfunctory, merely as a matter of form to comply to the 

 requirements of the constitution. 



The president has also called attention to the fact that our next meeting 

 will be the twenty-fifth anniversary of the organization of the Academy and 

 that it would be very appropriate for some special recognition to be given 

 to the event. 



Respectfully submitted, 



L. S. ROSS, Secretary. 



