1882. 125 Trans. N. V. Ac. Scz. 
Council had been held during the year. The papers and communica- 
tions presented at the meetings had been very varied and valuable. 
Besides five public lectures, fifty-five formal communications had been 
made before the Society, which might be classified generally as follows : 
Archeology, 2; Biology, 3; Chemistry, 4; Geology, 18 ; Mineralogy, 
17; Physics, 11. The average attendance at twenty-four meetings 
had been forty. 
There had been added to the resident membership during the year, 
twenty-six persons ; fourteen had resigned, and two had died—JOHN 
W. DRAPER, M. D., LL. D., and ALEXANDER L. HOLLEY, E. M. 
The Secretary suggested the propriety of further efforts to enlarge 
the membership of the Academy. 
In the absence of the Librarian (Dr. ELSBERG) the President ad- 
dressed the meeting in reference to the library, reporting the great 
amount of work that has been done during the past two years, in ar- 
ranging, cataloguing, and binding the books and pamphlets. The 
heavy expenses involved in this most necessary and important work 
have severely taxed the Academy’s finances ; but as the work is now 
substantially done, and the chief expenses over, the Society is to be 
most heartily congratulated in the matter. The great and valuable 
library is now, for the first time in many years, brought into a satis- 
factoryecondition ; and having permanent quarters in a positively fire- 
-proof building, its security and utility are assured. 
Prof. THOMAS EGLESTON reported further in the same strain, in 
behalf of the Library Committee. He presented to the Society the 
question of employing a paid librarian, which was referred to the 
Council; and announced that the arrangements were so far completed 
in reference to the binding and arranging of the books, that the 
library would be formally opened for use by June. 
The Corresponding Secretary, Dr. A. R. LEEDS, presented his re- 
port, relative to the correspondence of the Academy during the year. 
Prof. D. S. MARTIN presented the report of the Committee on Pub- 
lications. The “Annals” of the Academy had been carried on as 
usual—Nos. 5 and 6, of Volume II, having been issued before the 
summer adjournment of the Society; and Nos 7 and 8, which had 
been unavoidably delayed, being nearly through the press, and very 
soon to appear. Besides this, a large amount of labor had been ex- 
pended during the summer and fall of 1881, in the preparation and 
issue of the Index to Volume I. 
The publication of a journal of the Academy’s meetings, with the 
briefer papers and discussions, which had been so long desired and 
aimed at, had finally been undertaken in the printing of the TRANS- 
