Report of the Secretaries. xxi 



On July 27 and 28, in connection with the World's Congress 

 of Education, a Conference of European and American geogra- 

 phers was held at the World's Fair, Chicago, under the auspices 

 of the National Geographic Society ; its proceedings were marked 

 by a degree of interest and an attendance quite beyond the ex- 

 pectations of the committee; and it is believed that it exercised 

 a material and beneficial influence toward the study of geogra- 

 phy in the United States. 



Managers. — The Board of Managers have held 22 meetings for 

 the transaction of business of the Society. On June 2, 1893, a 

 change in the By-laws was adopted, facilitating the transaction 

 of business at the meetings of the Board of Managers. 



January 5, 1894, another amendment was adopted in con- 

 formity with a resolution passed by the Board of Managers : 

 " That hereafter the annual election of officers shall be held at 

 the last regular meeting in May, and that the Society year, for its 

 fiscal operations, publications and lecture courses, shall begin 

 and end with the annual election meeting." 



Owing to the rapid growth of the Society, it has become im- 

 possible for a volunteer to carry on the duties of Secretary, and 

 the Board of Managers found it necessary to employ a perma- 

 nent Secretary, to assume office November 1, 1893. 



Magazine. — Six brochures have been published during the 

 year, two forming the last two numbers of volume iv and the re- 

 mainder a portion of volume v. 



The Society has on its exchange list about eighty foreign and 

 domestic geographic societies and its librar}^ is increasing 

 rapidly. 



Special mention should be made of various gifts to the Society 

 library. Mr H. L. Hall, of Washington, District of Columbia, 

 has presented an old and valuable " Ortelius atlas," of date 

 1595. Honorable Gardiner G. Hubbard presented, among other 

 things, an "Atlas of America," date 1776, and three volumes of 

 Ramusio's " Navigationi et Viaggi," dates 1550, 1559 and 1565, 

 respectively. 



From His Imperial Highness the Arch Duke Ludwig Salvator 

 of Austria there have beeii received 20 volumes of his works 

 devoted to geographic research. 



Cyrus C. Babb, 

 Eliza R. Scidmore, 



Secretaries. 



