236 DAVENPOKT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



It will place us on a creditable footing with the other societies of the world 

 Therefore be it 



Resolved, That the Academy begin the publication of its Proceedings 

 with the least possible delay ; and 



Rs.soloed, That a committee of live be appointed, of which Messrs. Pratt 

 and Putnam, (ex-secretaries) and Dr. Preston, '(present secretary) shall be 

 members, to decide as to the best form of publication, as to title, etc., and to 

 prepare the records and make selections of reports, scientific papers, etc., 

 and determine on the publication or non-publication of each. 



Following up the enterprise thus inaugurated, securing such as- 

 sistance as he could command, (including his ever-present maternal 

 counsellor,) he enlisted the services of the " Women's Centennial 

 Association" to provide the necessary funds. On the very eve of 

 successful attainment, these long cherished hopes were swept aw^ay 

 by a disastrous fire, not only consuming the means already procured 

 or in immediate prospect, but involving the publisliing fund in seri- 

 ous liabilities. Undeterred by such obstacles, he persevered in his 

 efforts, and the final issue of Volume I was duly announced in 

 August, and in October, before the completion of his twentieth year, 

 its distribution was effected, being sown broadcast over the entire 

 world of science. 



Though still burdened by assumed obligations in prosecuting this 

 work, our zealous associate did not wait to see the results which he 

 plainly foresaw from the exchange of ])ulilications in enlarging the 

 library, or awakening increased interest in Academy work at home, 

 before urging the necessity of its continuation. Accordingly the 

 printer's ink was hardly dry on the preface of Volume 1, when at 

 the annual meeting of January 3d, 1877, Mr. Putnam volunteered 

 to undertake on his own responsibility, the publication of a Second 

 Volume, to be turned over complete to the Academy for its benefit, 

 on the liberal condition that one hundred and fifty subscribers be 

 secured by the members of the Academy within the limits of this 

 local district. With the accejjtance of this proposition, notwith- 

 standing a tardy fulfillment of the imposed condition, the work of 

 publication was again taken up with a full appreciation of its diffi- 

 culties, but with a reasonable expectation of the advantages to be 

 derived from previous experience. Accordingly in spite of the seri- 

 ous hindrance of severe illness, it was carried steadily forward with 

 greatly improved typographical ap23earance. Part I being issued in 

 July, 1877, while the succeeding Part, delayed by unavoidable hin- 

 drances, made its appearance in February, 1880. 



The immediate results of the publication thus laboriously car- 



