XXXVI Trans. Acad. Sci. of St. Louis. 
REPORTS OF OFFICERS. 
PRESIDENT’s ADDRESS. 
Fellow Members: 
It is my privilege again to report a year of well-being and progress 
in the Academy. 
Fifteen meetings have been held, with an average registration of 
twenty-three, but an attendance fully doubling this number. On an 
invitation in which we participated, the National Academy of Sciences 
held its autumn meeting in St. Louis, in the early part of November, 
thereby honoring the community and encouraging and stimulating its 
scientific activities. This meeting afforded us an opportunity to tender 
to the public, on behalf of our guests, a lecture by the dean of Ameri- 
can geologists—Professor Chamberlin—presenting impressions derived 
by him during an extensive educational mission to that little-known 
Jand, China; and indirectly brought us a masterly address by one of 
America’s most distinguished zoologists—Professor Wilson—arranged 
by the Washington University chapter of the honorary scientific 
society of Sigma Xi, attendance on which was made possible by action 
of the Council suspending our own session of November seventh. The 
officers of the National Academy have been pleased to speak of the 
St. Louis meeting as a satisfactory one, and its sessions were given 
an unusual and pleasing touch of reminiscence by the presence on the 
walls of the meeting-room of portraits of Chauvenet, Hads and Engel- 
mann,—all, in their day, honored and valued members of the National 
Academy, as of our own organization. 
Perhaps in no single respect has the real scientific activity of our 
body been so gratifyingly manifested as in its Entomological Section, 
which has held eight meetings through the year and has brought 
together the nucleus of a general collection of insects, supplementing 
the beautiful butterflies which, through Mrs, Bouton’s interest and 
effort, were presented to the Academy some years since. Though 
little enlarged, otherwise, the museum has been maintained, in the 
customary manner and made accessible to the public; and the practice 
of opening it after our evening meeting has been continued through 
he year. The librarian reports the usual increase in our library, bet- 
-¢erments in its condition, and maintenance and suitable extension of 
-our scientific affiliations. 
Toward the end of the season the Academy, helpful in every 
effort to better the community in the line of our own activities, gave 
-approval to a movement looking to the establishment of a zoological 
.garden in St. Louis, and a committee has been appointed for suitable 
-co-operation, chosen from members of the Academy who at the same 
-time are representative of the most important civic interests to which 
<such a movement should appeal. 
The publications of the Academy have been carried through the 
-year ‘in the usual manner,—gratifying as to quantity and quality, and, 
