280 PROCEEDINGS OF THE OHIO ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



What was called on the program the first annual meeting, 

 although in reality the second, was held in Columbus, Dec. 29 

 and 30, 1892. At this time twenty-five papers were read. They 

 treated for the most part of some phase of botany, geology and 

 entomology. Perhaps the most significant action at this meeting 

 was a brief report of the Committee on Publications, which 

 announced that it had selected the Journal of the Cincinnati 

 Society of Natural History and the technical series of Bulletins 

 of the Ohio Experiment Station, as the official organs of the 

 Academy, until better arrangements can be made. This arrange- 

 ment continued until the publication of the Ohio Naturalist in 

 1899, I believe, and since then, or for a period of fifteen years 

 this publication has been the official organ of the Academy. At 

 the end of this year the Ohio Naturalist becomes the Ohio 

 Journal of Science. 



At the close of the first year of the existence of the Academy, 

 the total membership was as follows : Annual members, 116 — of 

 which number 59 were charter members, and one life member. 

 Mr. Emerson McMillin, who at this early day became a generous 

 patron. 



Having dwelt in some detail upon the founding and early 

 history of the Academy, — I shall treat its subsequent career 

 and accomplishments more briefly. 



Statistics are usually wearisome, but in the interests of his- 

 tory they cannot be wholly avoided. 



What may be termed the annual membership of the Academy 

 has increased from 59 charter members in 1891 to 234 members 

 in 191 5. About one-fifth of the membership resides outside of 

 Ohio, and are found in 15 difi^erent states, besides the District 

 of Columbia, Hawaii and Canada. The Ohio residents are found 

 in more than 50 counties of the state. 



To illustrate the regularity of growth in numbers, the 5th 

 year the membership was 157; loth, 173; 15th, 179; 20th, 196; 

 25th, 234. 



As to attendance, one cannot speak confidently for no records 

 have been kept. On the average, I should say that one-third of 

 the resident membership attended the annual meetings. As to 



