ANNALS OF THE ACADEMY 27 



considered that it was largely through their activities that the 

 Academy was to fulfil its functions. In his report for 1863 he 

 remarks: 



" The first trial of the working of the Academy was to be made, and the first 

 effort was to be through the action of a Committee on Weights and Measures, 

 for the appointment of which, to consider the subject of the ' Uniformity of 

 Weights, Measures and Coins, considered in relation to domestic and inter- 

 national commerce,' the Academy had been addressed before its adjournment by 

 the Hon. Secretary of the Treasury, S. P. Chase. 



" It was obvious that the only effective and prompt mode of action by members 

 scattered over the United States, as were the fifty named in the charter, must be 

 through committees. Action must originate with committees, and be perfected by 

 discussion in the general meetings of the Academy, or in the classes or sections. 

 Decisions to be finally pronounced by the entire body." 1 



For the first time, the Academy listened to the reading of 

 scientific papers by its members. In the program were in- 

 cluded the names of Agassiz, Alexander, Bache, F. A. P. 

 Barnard, J. G. Barnard, B. A. Gould, Henry, Peirce, Ruther- 

 furd and Strong. The subjects of the 16 papers that were pre- 

 sented were all connected with the physical sciences, except 

 three by Professor Agassiz (two of which related to fishes and 

 one to individuality among animals), and one by Stephen 

 Alexander on the forms of icebergs. The preponderance of 

 physical subjects is not surprising, when it is recalled that two- 

 thirds of the membership at this time were enrolled in the class 

 of mathematics and physics. 



The papers were referred to the Committee on Publication, 

 which was instructed to " take order " for their publication, 

 while the Council was directed to provide the means. The 

 Academy was at this time without funds, except the amounts 

 received from members as dues, and the orders could not, there- 

 fore, be carried out immediately. It was not until 1866 that 

 the first volume of the Memoirs of the Academy was issued, and 

 this contained but two of the 16 papers read at the first scientific 

 meeting in 1864. It was proposed in 1866 to collect and pub- 



1 Annual Report of the President for 1863. Ann. Nat. Acad. Sci. for 1863-4 ( J 865), p. 4.9. 



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