cxxiv Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 



Dr. M. A. Goldstein gave a demonstration of the Oto- 

 Projectoscope. 



Reports of Officers for the Year 1906. 

 The President addressed the Academy as follows : — 



Gentlbmen: Again being called upon to make the annual report as your 

 president, I can only repeat wnat I stated last year at the same occasion 

 that we have for another year striven to live up to the exalted aims and 

 purposes for the realization of which this Academy of Science has been 

 founded. 



Our regular lectures have been highly interesting and instructive. The 

 year's volume of Transactions contains seven scientific papers which will 

 surely not fall to impress the world of science in their respective special 

 branches with the work done by and through the agency of our Academy. 



The attendance at the lectures was very slightly larger than last year, 406 

 in 1906 against 404 in 1905. Fifteen meetings were held. The largest at- 

 tendance was noted on March 5th (50), the smallest, 12, on March 19th. 

 Thus the average attendance in 1906 was about like that of 1905, twenty- 

 seven. It is likely that if more lectures of a more general and popular 

 character had been delivered, the attendance would have been larger, as it 

 is but natural that the great majority of our members, who are not them- 

 selves engaged in work in some special scientific field, are not attracted by 

 strictly scientific lectures . 



The Academy always invites and gladly receives at its meetings r^uests 

 from the outside. It has always seemed to me in this connection that such 

 an invitation should only mean to apply to the scientific lecture and its dis- 

 cussion. As is now the custom, however, all of our faijaily matters are, 

 also, discussed in the presence of the outside guests. I do not think this 

 should be the case and feel like suggesting that the order of business at our 

 meetings be changed in such a manner as to correct this condition, which* 

 while it has not yet, might at some occasion become very embarrassing. 



Our museum which, thanks to our Curators is so well displayed in the 

 large room on the third floor, has during this year again received numerous 

 valuable donations. It is to be hoped that the Academy will in the near 

 future be enabled to procure more cases, as there is still a quantity of val- 

 uable material stored away awaiting a chance for display. 



In the same manner as the museum our library has grown considerably, 

 not only by the numerous exchanges but also through many valuable gifts. 



Death has again robbed the Acaiemy of seven members: — two Honorary 

 ones. Dr. Lndwig Boltznaann and Senor Alfredo Chavero, three active resi- 

 dent members, Dr. E. H. Gregory, Dr. E. C. Chase and Charles F. Miller, 

 and two active non-resident members, Julien Reverchon and Dr. Jacob 

 Schneck. This is a heavier loss than death has caused us for some years. 



As far as numbers are concerned, the loss would have been more than 

 counterbalanced by twenty-one new members which we elected during the 

 past year, had it not been the painful duty of our Council to strike eighteen 

 delinquents oflE the membership list. Oar membership is now 386 as against 

 386 in 1905. 



