xxiv Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



bers cannot divide the collections, library and property 

 among themselves. 



The Infancy of the Academy. The hard work of the pro- 

 drome period of twenty years very naturally cut short the 

 usual period of infancy of such an organization. We find 

 substantial work dating from the second meeting which was 

 held, April 21, 1856, when nine new members were elected. 

 The Academy accepted the generous offer of Dr. Chas. A. 

 Pope of a home in the O'Fallon Dispensary of the St. Louis 

 Medical College. Chas. P. Chouteau gave the Academy his 

 one-fourth interest in the celebrated and valuable Hayden 

 Natural History Collection. 



The members began their discussions with objects of mag- 

 nitude, for the Zeuglodon, a gigantic fossil whale, and the 

 Missourrium (Mastodon giganteus) were the subjects of the 

 first debates along lines of science. The Academy authorized 

 the spending of some of its first money to pay the expenses 

 of a trip south by Dr. Albert C. Koch who made the journey 

 to study the then much talked about Zeuglodon fossil remains 

 of Mississippi. 



The brotherly love of the Academy of Science of Philadel- 

 phia was the first to be extended to the infant organization. 

 The name of the St. Louis Academy was placed on the ex- 

 change list of the Philadelphia Academy before the new 

 society had any publications to exchange. This act of recog- 

 nition has never been forgotten by our officers and members. 



The Membership. The organization meeting closed with 

 fifteen charter members. In 1860, just before the Civil War, 

 the total had grown to 150. The highest membership record 

 was in 1903 with 298 names. To-day, the roll contains but 

 261 names. Death has decimated our ranks of late. Those 

 who joined during the first decade are fast passing away. 

 Dr. Wm. M. McPheeters, who died in St. Louis March 15, 

 1905, was the last survivor of the fifteen organizers. 



The Academy has three living patrons and seventeen hon- 

 orary members. The recent World's Fair in St. Louis was 

 the occasion of several additions to the roll of honorary mem- 

 bers. The librarian. Dr. G. Hambach, is at present the only 



