34 NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Through this bequest, the Academy was put in possession of 

 an important instrumentality for the promotion of scientific 

 research, and nearly every year, for forty years, the Academy 

 has granted one or more allotments for investigations in various 

 branches of science, but chiefly in physics and astronomy. By 

 1889 the number of allotments had risen to 79, amounting in all 

 to more than $38,000." Professor Bache's generous action has 

 not only been of direct benefit to American science, but has sug- 

 gested other bequests and donations to the Academy, through 

 which research has been stimulated and aided. 



Besides the death of Professor Bache, other important changes 

 had taken place in the membership of the Academy between 

 1863 and 1867. Of the fifty incorporators eight had died, namely, 

 Hubbard, Totten, Hitchcock, Benj. Silliman (senior), Gilliss, 

 A. A. Gould, Bache and Alexander. Eleven members had 

 resigned, and in accordance with the provisions of the consti- 

 tution, two were constituted honorary members on account of 

 age or remoteness from the places of meeting. 



The January meeting for 1867 was held as usual in Washing- 

 ton and 17 members were present. Only seven papers were read 

 at this meeting, the smallest number presented at any meeting 

 since the organization of the Academy. Resolutions were 

 again passed recommending that the metric system of weights 

 and measures be taught in the public schools and higher institu- 

 tions of learning; and, in addition, registering the opinion that 

 it was highly desirable to employ metric weights in the post- 

 offices " at the earliest convenient day." 



At the August meeting of 1867 a resolution signed by eight 

 members was offered, requesting that Congress should be asked 

 to amend the act incorporating the Academy so that the member- 

 ship could be increased beyond fifty. The resolution was dis- 

 cussed at this meeting and referred to the Council. At the next 

 session, on recommendation of the Council, it was rejected. The 

 matter did not rest here, however, for at the meeting of April, 

 1870, it was brought forward again, and this time unanimously 

 adopted by the Academy. 



"Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci., vol. i, p. 317. 



