Annual Meeting.] 372 [May 4, 



the Lituites, which give positive evidence of the former existence 

 of faunas of greater antiquity than those which must have given 

 birth to the Cephalopoda of the Phillipsburg limestones or their 

 close allies the Trocholites and similar forms of the Chazy and 

 Newton. A result of considerable interest from a stratigraphical 

 point of view may also be stated. The species are the same in 

 some cases as those lately found in the limestones at Fort Cassin, 

 described by Whitfield in the Bulletin of the American Museum as 

 probably synchronous with the Birds-eye limestones of New York. 

 The kindness of Mr. Whitfield has enabled the Curator to make 

 his comparisons with the original materials from Fort Cassin de- 

 scribed by him. 



Report on the Secretary and Librarian by Ed ward' Burgess, 



Secretary. 



In the past year the Secretary finds in his department no impor- 

 tant event to chronicle. The annual averages given below show 

 the usual figures, and except in the case of membership are to 

 that extent satisfactory. 



Membership. 



It seems desirable to call special attention to the need of increas- 

 ing our membership for the losses in the roll from death and other 

 causes much exceed the number of members added. During the 

 past year we have lost four Associate Members by death, fifteen 

 by resignation, and twelve have been dropped for non-payment of 

 dues, a total of thirty-one, while only thirteen have been elected. 

 The Corporate class is reduced three by death, one by resignation, 

 and one by forfeiture. Two Life Members of long standing, Dr. 

 Charles D. Homans and Mr. James A. Dupee, have died. 



Isaac Lea, the veteran conchologist, elected an Honorary Mem- 

 ber in Jan., 1837, died last December. 



We have elected one Corporate and two Corresponding Mem- 

 bers during the year. 



The total resident membership is now three hundred and forty- 

 two. There is certainly no reason why the Society should not 

 number twice as many. 



