102 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



To the President and Board of Trustees of the Davenport Academy of 

 Natural Sciences : 



Gentlemen : — Your action in making me a life member of your 

 society under so pleasant circumstances, and associated with that of our 

 noble patron, Mrs. Newcomb, I regard as a great compliment, and desire 

 to express to you my profomid acknowledgment therefor. I feel, how- 

 ever, that the distinction is undeserved, and that the principal credit is 

 due to those earnest -workers who established and have maintained the 

 society under so many adverse circumstances, and knowing, too, how 

 greatly f imds are needed for building puri^oses, I must decline receiving 

 this life membership as a gratuity, and herewith enclose the sum of fifty 

 dollars (SoO) in payment therefor, which I beg you will receive. 



Yery sincerely yours, 



Woodlawn, March 9th, 1877. Mary L. D. Putnam. 



Also the following : 



To to the President and Trustees of the Davenport Academy of Natural 

 Sciences : 



Gentlemen : — In grateful remembrance of him who, next to my 

 mother, was the first to lead me in the path of nature, and was among 

 the first to conceive the idea of founding this Academy, and who alone 

 of its founders has labored unceasingly in its behalf, and to whom the 

 credit of its prosperity is largely due, I desire, in partial acknowledg- 

 ment, to have the name of William H. Pratt enrolled in the list of life 

 members of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences. 



I enclose a check for fifty dollars ($50) to. be applied to that purpose. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



Davenport, March 9th, 1877. J. Duncan Putnam. 



The communications were received with the thanks of the 

 Academy, and the money appropriated as requested by the 

 donors. 



Mr. C. E. Putnam, on behalf of Mrs. Putnam, presented a 

 communication from Hon. E. H. Pendleton, of Cincinnati, en- 

 closing a draft for S250 — a donation to the Building Fund of the 

 Academv. The donation was thankfully accepted, and the Sec- 

 retary was instnicted to made proper acknowledgments. 



Dr. Farquharson then read the following paper : 



