Record, Ixvii 



Papers and addresses of scientific interest have been presented at each 

 meeting of the Academy. The value of these papers it is, of couri-e, very 

 diflacult to estimate, but the estimation in which they have b( en he d is in- 

 dicated to some extent by the comments which have been made upon them 

 in the scientific press throughout the world, and also by the attention which 

 they have attracted not only in St. Louis but elsewhere in this country and 

 in Europe. A number of the papers presented have been thought by the 

 Council worthy of publication in the Transactions, and I am again happy to 

 announce that the Council has been able to follow out the plan inaugural ed 

 a year or two ago, of publishing a volume during each year. During the 

 past year we have publ shed a volume of the Transactions, numbering ap- 

 proximately three hundred and fifty pages, illustrated with a large number 

 of plates, and containing ten numbers. The present volume, which is the 

 tenth of the Academy's publication, will contain, besides the usual matter, 

 a classified table of the contents of all the ten volumes which have already 

 been published, which will serve to make the contents of the earlier 

 volumes more easily accessible. 



We have before us many of the problems which were before us at this 

 time last year. The Librarian has informed you of the increase in the 

 library, which we consider one of our most valuable assets at present. 

 The library now numbers 13,624 volumes and 9,869 pamphlets. It is 

 housed, as you know, in the upper floor of this building: it should not be 

 housed there. Tlie necessity for a fire proof building in which the I'brary 

 can be preserved becomes y^ar by year more imperative. It would be a 

 disgrace to the city of St Louis if by any accident that library were to be 

 destroyed. Yet we find it at present impossible to make other provision 

 for the storing of the library, because of lack of funds. Any effort, there- 

 fore, which can be made on the part of members of the Academy to enlist 

 public interest in sec uring a fire-proof home for the Academy and its col- 

 lections should be encouraged, and should be put forth at every opportunity. 

 Another thing which the library is in need of is a catalogue. At present 

 the knowledge of the contents of the library is contained only in 

 the head of the Librarian, so far as I am able to ascertain, and, 

 while the books are reasonably accessible, it is impossible to ascertain what 

 the library contains on any particular subject without going through a con- 

 siderable amount of labor. Now. the making of a catalogue wiil involve 

 considerable labor, and consequently consid- rable expense, and I desire to 

 urge upon the Council the consideration of ways and means by which this 

 can be accomplished, even if we do not find it feasible to move the library 

 to a safer place. 



We have, as you have heard, made an addition to the collections of the 

 Academy, this year, which is quite exceptional. We have thought it best 

 to purchase the Yandell collection of crinoids, corals, mollusks, Crustacea 

 and other fossil specimens. This collection, I may say, was made by Dr. 

 Yandell, of Louisville, Kentucky, who was an associate of Dr. Shumard, 

 whose name the St. Louis Academy always delights to honor as one of its 

 early Presidents and one of its most enthusiastic workers. The collection 

 consists of several thousand specimens, of which perhaps one third are 

 crinoids. It is especially rich in crinoids of the Devonian age and many rare 

 types contained in the collection are described in Volume I of the Trans- 



