1962.] I AlKCIIIf.l) — HISTORY OF THP: SOCIETY. 327 



Work of the Academy. Results Accomplished. 



The effects of the Society's activity are not wholly visible, as in 

 meetings, publications and collections. In the pleasure to the mem- 

 bers and visitors, in the intellectual stimulus to the community, in the 

 aid and direction given to young students, and in other ways there 

 has been an influence unmeasurable but very effective. The visible 

 and measurable results of the Academy's work are certainly great 

 and we will enumerate some of them with satisfaction. 



Meetings. — During the thirteen years since the reorganization of 

 the Academy we have held on the average sixteen meetings a year, or 

 in all about 200 meetings. These have always been free to the public. 

 The attendance has varied greatly, but rarely has there been a meet- 

 ing with less than twenty-five persons, while the more popular papers 

 and lectures have drawn audiences of 100 to 200 people. The aver- 

 age attendance as shown by the Secretary's reports has been about 

 fifty. This is a better attendance record than can be shown by many 

 societies of much greater resources in the larger cities. This record 

 of meetings and attendance gives an idea of the public side of the 

 Academy's work, its free gift to the community. But the investiga- 

 tional or research work by a society's membership can not be measured 

 by the standard of attendance. A half dozen men, perhaps with their 

 feet on a table, around which they discuss each other's work and 

 exchange new ideas, may alone constitute a very effective society for 

 the higher or productive work. 



Papers Presented. — The proceedings of the last thirteen years 

 contain the titles of 226 communications to the Academy, This large 

 number includes many brief papers which occupied only part of a meet- 

 ing, as well as the many popular and illustrated lectures. The follow- 

 ing table will show the distribution of the papers among the many 

 branches of science, and also the numbers published and unpublished. 

 (Since April, 1896, only two papers have been published): 



Number of Papers presented to the Academy during the years 

 l88g-igoi : 



31, Proc. Roch. Acad. opSc, \'ol. 3, June 12, 1906, 



