annual address of the president. 207 



Adjourned Annual Meeting. 

 Mr. Hunting delivered the 



President's Annual Address. 



BY rev. S. S. hunting. 



Ladies and Gentlemen of the Davenport Academy of Natural Sciences : 



It being my duty to make a report on " the condition and progress of 

 the Academy in all its departments," during the year 1877, I will con- 

 dense into a few pages what it seems essential for me to say, and will 

 refer you to special reports of the different departments, for interesting 

 details of the work. 



The year had scarcely begun when we were happily surprised by the 

 discovery, in a mound on '' Cook's Farm," of the " tablets" which have 

 already become celebrated. We may well wait for the solution of the 

 problem as to what they were made for, and what is the interpretation 

 of the writing and hieroglyphics, but we cannot be indifferent to the ca- 

 vils of skeptics. We are glad to see that candid inquirers grant the force 

 of the testimony showing how and where they were found, and that they 

 are genuine records of the mound-builders. 



The report of the Recording Secretary shows a commendable amount 

 of work for the year. Twenty-two trustee meetings were held, thirteen 

 regular and live special meetings of the Academy, besides meetings of 

 Geological, Biological and Historical sections. The increase in regular 

 members has been large ; twenty-seven life members and one hundred 

 and twenty- two corresponding members have been elected, and eight 

 honorary members were elected at the annual meeting. 



There have been two lectures on the " External and Internal Anatomy 

 of Insects," by Miss Emma A. Smith, and six historical lectiu-es by Dr. 

 John Lord. 



The several papers presented to the Academy have been especially in- 

 teresting, and unusually important, some of which have been already 

 published. The following deserve special mention : 



1. A connected account of the exploration of mound No. 3, Cook's 

 Earm Group, by Rev. J. Gass. 2. On the Inscribed Tablets, found by 

 Rev. J. Gass, by R. J. Farquharson, M. D. 3. A paper by Dr. C. C. 

 Parry, descriptive of the lily discovered by himself. 4. Description of 

 a new species of Acrididae from Arizona, by Dr. Cyrus Thomas. 5. Three 

 new chemical tests, by Dr. M. W. lies. 6. Utah mounds, by Dr. E. Pal- 

 mer. 7. Geology of Davenport and vicinity, by Dr. W. H. Barris. 



I would also call your attention to the valuable donations which have 

 been made during the year, and mentioned in the report of the Curator. 



The Historical Section has had ten meetings during the year, with an 

 average attendance of twelve at each meeting. The donations of val- 

 uable historical works and interesting relics have been considerable. 

 The interest of the Academy in this Section is increasing, depending 



