46 Fortieth Annual Meeting 



the recommendations of the Assistant Secretary be adopted. 



Mr. Daniel B. Fearing, Newport, R. I. : I understood 

 yesterday that the seal of the Society had disappeared, some- 

 what hke the Pope's ring. If we are incorporated we need 

 a new seal, and my offer included a new seal to be made by 

 Tiffany. ( Applause. ) 



Mr. Clark : In my remarks as to Mr. Fearing's offer I 

 meant to include the seal. A plate, of course, will be made 

 for the certificate. 



President : The plate and seal are the donation of Mr. 

 Fearing. 



Mr. Gunckel : I do not know anything more valuable to 

 us than a certificate of membership. Suppose I was in 

 Missouri and told a fish story that was doubted, I could 

 show my certificate and that would settle everything. 

 ( Laughter. ) 



President : I agree with Mr. Gunckel that all of us need 

 a certificate of membership, except himself. Mr. Gunckel 

 would not need to be identified anywhere. (Laughter.) 



The report was thereupon unanimously adopted. 



INDEX OF THE TRANSACTIONS 



Mr. John W. Titcomb, Lyndonville. Vt. : Is the card 

 index to be a topical index ? 



Acting Secretary: The principal object is to have refer- 

 ences both to members and all subjects coming before the 

 Society. An autliors' index has recently been worked up in 

 connection with a history of the Society that I have pre- 

 pared, but naturally it will not meet future contributions nor 

 does it give references to the wide range of topics embraced 

 in the discussions of papers or during business sessions. 



Mr. Titcomb: It does not purport to contain a topical 

 index to all tlic subjects discussed? 



Acting Secretary : It includes only references to authors 

 and papers. The discussions often wandered over a variety 

 of subjects, which, if properly indexed, would mean quite an 

 undertaking. 



