president's ANNtTj^L ADDRESS. ^5 



dered us in the publication of our Proceedings ; to the printers for their 

 uniformly accommodating manner upon all occasions, and to all others 

 who have aided us, either Ijy work performed or advice given. 

 Respectfully submitted. 



W. H. Pratt, 



J. Duncan Putnam, 

 R. J. Farquharson. 

 C. H. Preston, 



Davenport^ Jan. 3(Z, 1877. Committee. 



Tlie retiring President, Rev. W. H. Barris, then delivered his 



ANNUAL ADDRESS. 

 Ladies and Gentlemen : 



In compliance with custom, and carrying out the provisions of our by. 

 laws, it becomes the duty of the retiring President to make a report on 

 "the condition and progress of the Academy in all its departments." Such 

 a paper must necessarily gather its material mainly from the reports of 

 the other officers of the Society. 



The report of the Treasurer shows our financial status to be sound. In 

 one respect our Academy is a model. Our receipts for the year have 

 been in excess of our expenditures. 



From the report of the Recording Secretary we find that during the 

 year there have been fifteen business meetings of the Trustees, and thir- 

 teen regular meetings of the Academy. The latter have averaged a fair 

 attendance, though not as full as we could have desired, yet embracing 

 those most devoted to our work. 



The report of the Librarian shows the additions that are constantly be- 

 ing made to the Library. Every addition is a new argument for increased 

 accommodations. Even at the beginning of the year our two cases were 

 crowded to overflowing. Since that time the number of books have more 

 than doubled ; 360 volumes have grown to 900 volumes and pamphlets. 

 The two or three cases modestly asked for by our Librarian are needed 

 now. We have yet to hear from the vast mass of our foreign exchanges, 

 and if they respond at all in proportion to their capability, we shall be in 

 no condition properly to care for them. 



The report of the Curator is in your possession. In Archaeological re- 

 mains, the number of stone and flint implements during the year has 

 been doubled. In the departments of Mineralogy, Geology and Palaeon- 

 tology, the collection has steadily increased. In Botany, valuable con- 

 tributions have been received. In Zoology the acquisitions have been 

 quite extensive. With the recital of work done in this department, we 

 are again confronted with the wants of the Academy. The Curator is 

 ready, and has done his part in the proper identification and classification 

 of the material under his hand, but as to its full arrangement and scien- 

 tific presentation to the eye, such as shall make it subserve the highest 

 purposes of education, in this he is sadly crippled. 

 Such result cannot possibly be looked for in our present condition, till 



