32 The Academy of Natural Sciences 



During the administration of Dr. Euschenberger it had been 

 his practice to read at the annual meeting a resume of the 

 history of the year. These had been discontinued until 1901 when, 

 at the beginning of the new century, Dr. Dixon prepared a sum- 

 marized account of the operations of the society during the inter- 

 vening twenty years. 



Because of the constantly increasing tendency to the division 

 of scientific interests into specialties, the organization of sections 

 and special societies, and the consequent interference with attend- 

 ance on general meetings, an amendment to the By-Laws was 

 adopted in 1903, providing for the holding of meetings on the 

 first and third Tuesdays of each month from October to May, 

 inclusive, thus reducing the number of sessions from fifty-two to 

 sixteen. -. .' 



An appropriation of $20,000 from the State Legislature, in 

 1905, was expended in replacing the roof of the old building by 

 one which more effectually safeguarded the collections from dam- 

 age by storms. Another appropriation of $150,000 received last 

 year has secured the erection of a fire-proof building on the 

 remaining section of the lot. In the rear portion of the structure 

 the library has been arranged in five tiers of steel stacks, while 

 the front is divided into a lecture hall, and a reading room in 

 connection with the library. 



The four Departments of the Academy through which its 

 work is accomplished are the Library, the Museum, the Publication 

 Office and the Department of Instruction and Lectures. 



THE LIBRARY 



The formation of a library was one of the first subjects to 

 engage attention. At the initial meeting a committee, consisting of 

 Dr. Troost and Mr. Shinn, was appointed to consider "which are 

 the fittest periodical works to engage at first instance for the 

 accommodation of the society." 



No report seems to have been received from this, the first 

 Library Committee, but under date of March 17, 1812, a memo- 

 randum records that "Mr. Shinn will accommodate the society with 

 the Mineralogical Journal of Dr. Bruce; Mr. Parmentier, the 

 Aurora and a map of Switzerland ; Dr. Mann, the Monthly Maga- 

 zine for 1807. Dr. Troost and Mr. Parmentier have engaged for 



