28 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



lish the minor papers in the Proceedings of the Academy, but 

 this action was never talcen, the first issue of the Proceedings 

 having been devoted to the reports and minutes. 



Besides formally adopting a constitution and by-laws, acting 

 on reports of scientific committees, and listening to scientific 

 communication, the Academy transacted other important busi- 

 ness at the meeting of January, 1864. It elected the first foreign 

 members, or " Foreign Associates," as they were styled in the 

 constitution. The by-laws provided that not more than ten 

 Foreign Associates might be elected at any one meeting, and the 

 Academy proceeded at once to elect this number. This first list 

 comprised Sir Wm. Rowan Hamilton, Karl Ernst Von Baer, 

 Michael Faraday, J. B. Elie de Beaumont, Sir David Brewster, 

 G. A. A. Plana, Robert Bunsen, F. W. A. Argelander, Michel 

 Chasles and Henri Milne-Edwards. 



The Academy had not been in existence six months when 

 it lost one of its original members, Professor Hubbard, one of 

 the youngest of the incorporators, who died on August 16, 1863, 

 at the age of 46 years. The event was reported at the meeting 

 of January, 1864, and in accordance with the by-laws, Dr. B. A. 

 Gould was appointed to prepare a biographical notice. This 

 notice, the first of the series of biographical sketches published 

 by the Academy, was read at the New Haven meeting, August 

 5, 1864, and printed in the first Annual.' 



In accordance with the by-laws, the death of three eminent 

 scientific men of the country not members of the Academy was 

 announced at the meeting of January, 1864, and three members 

 were appointed to prepare biographical sketches. Only two of 

 the sketches appear to have been presented, however, and the 

 practice was not continued in subsequent years, doubtless on 

 account of the burden which it imposed on the membership, and 

 the lack of funds for printing. 



Of the second session of the Academy for the year, 1864, 

 which was held in New Haven on the 5th and 6th of August, 

 little has been recorded, beyond the fact that ten papers were 



°Pp. 71-112. 



