24 TRANSACTIONS 



The amendments to the by-laws as proposed at the 

 last regular meeting were adopted. 



Mr. Elsworth proposed the following amendment to 

 article xv. of the by-laws : "The distribution of the in- 

 come of the fund, specifically set apart for 'museum, sci- 

 entific, library, and publication ' purposes, shall be under 

 the direction of a committee of four members of the In- 

 stitute, two of whom, at least, shall be members of the 

 Scientific Section. Such committee shall be annually 

 ajjpointed by the President, and shall report annually 

 to the Institute and to the board of trustees." 



One member was elected. 



Mr. Edward Burgess, chairman of the Literary Sec- 

 tion, gave an address relative to the work of this Sec- 

 tion. While the speaker did not choose to give his ad- 

 dress any formal title, it may be set forth in a single line 

 from Pope: "The proper study of mankind is man." 

 The speaker urged his hearers to study their own kind 

 through every medium, and especially through literature 

 in all its forms, — biography, history, biology, theology, 

 &c, &c. Dwelling on the subject of biography, he said 

 that to learn the foibles of great men was to receive a 

 lesson in humility and charity, when we see that such 

 have their weaknesses no less than their humble breth- 

 ren. The main purpose of the address was evidently to 

 urge upon the Literary Section the great advantage of 

 system in the preparation of their papers. He dwelt 

 with special emphasis on the value of biography as a 

 study — it brought one into such intimate communica- 

 tion, as it were, with the leaders of mankind in all ages. 

 The address elicited a discussion by President Elmendorf 

 and Messrs. Gardner, Bartlett, Elsworth and Stevenson. 



NOVEMBER 13, 1883— FOURTEENTH REGULAR MEETING. 



J. Elmendorf, D.D., president, in the chair; fifteen 

 members present. 



