1869.] 9 [Annual Report. 



attended. Three courses have been delivered during the 

 winter and spring. The first course consisted of four lec- 

 tures upon Optical Phenomena, by Dr. B. Joy Jeffries ; the 

 second of twelve lectures upon the Geological History of 

 North America, by Mr. W. H. Mies, and the third of twelve 

 lectures, several of which are yet to be given, upon Plant 

 Life, by Mr. W. T. Brigham. The first course was but little 

 advertised, and being also upon a limited subject, attracted 

 but a slender audience ; the second course was attended by 

 an average of sixty-six persons; and the third, delivered in 

 the evening, by an audience averaging thus far ninety-nine 

 persons. 



Perhaps the large amount of the Society's publications has 

 been the most noticeable feature in the history of the past 

 year. We have issued no less than the equivalent of one 

 thousand two hundred and twenty-nine octavo pages, a num- 

 ber at least double that of any previous year of our history. 

 It was announced in the last report that our publications, and 

 especially the Proceedings, would appear with greater prompt- 

 ness than before ; and we can say with just pride that no 

 Society in this country can at all compete with us in this 

 respect ; during the greater part of the year, — and had it not 

 been for one unforeseen and unavoidable strain upon our print- 

 ing office, we should have said during the whole year, — we 

 have placed upon the table at each meeting of the Society, a 

 part, at least, of the printed Proceedings of the previous meet- 

 ing ; this has been scarcely more difficult, no more expensive, 

 and to our subscribers and contributors in every way more 

 satisfactory than the former deliberate method of issuing our 

 publications. "We are now placing a press in our printing 

 office, so that, with the exception of stereotyping, all our 

 future work will be done within our own walls, and with still 

 greater promptness. 



The twelfth volume of our Proceedings, begun a year ago, 



