56 
REPORT ON THE AUTUMN MEETING 
THE COMSTOCK FUND 
Nichols, E. L, (Chairman), 1918 
Thomson, Elihu, 1915 Crew, Henry, 1916 Noyes, A. A., 1919 
Webster, A. G., 1917 
THE MURRAY FUND 
Dall, W. H., 1915 Hague, Arnold, 1916 Parker, G. H., 191 
The Committee on the Amendmerxt to the Act of Incorporation of the 
Academy reported through Mr. Charles D. Walcott, its Chairman, that the 
following amendment had been passed by both houses of Congress during 
the last session and approved by the President on May 27, 1914c 
(Public— No. 109-r63d Congress. S. 4096) 
An Act to amend the Act authorizing the National Academy of Sciences to receive 
and hold trust funds for the promotion of science, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of 
America in Congress assembled. That the Act to authorize the National Academy of 
Sciences to receive and hold trust funds for the promotion of science, and for other pur- 
poses, approved June twentieth, eighteen hundred and eighty-four, be, and the same is 
hereby, amended to read as follows: 
"That the National Academy of Sciences, incorporated by the Act of Congress ap- 
proved March third, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, be, and the same is hereby, 
authorized and empowered to receive, by devise, bequest, donation or otherwise, either 
real or personal property, and to hold the same absolutely or in trust, and to invest, 
reinvest, and manage the same in accordance with the provisions of its constitution, 
and to apply said property and the income arising therefrom to the objects of its crea- 
tion and according to the instructions of the donors: Provided, however, That the 
Congress may at any time limit the amount of real estate which may be acquired and 
the length of time the same may be held by said National Academy of Sciences." 
Sec. 2. That the right to alter, amend, or repeal this Act is hereby expressly reserved. 
Approved, May 27, 1914. 
At the business session on December 8, 1914 the Committee on the Revi- 
sion of the Constitution and Rules reported a series of amendments to the 
constitution of the Academy, which, after discussion, were referred to the 
Council for consideration and report. The Council presented its report, with 
further amendments, to the Academy at the stated session on December 9, 
1914; and the amended report was adopted by the Academy, sitting as a com- 
mittee of the whole. This report will come up for final consideration by the 
Academy at the stated meeting in April 1915. 
A new Rule was adopted, reading as follows: The holders of the Medal 
for Eminence in the AppHcation of Science to the PubHc Welfare shall be 
notified, like members, of the meetings of the Academy, and invited to par- 
ticipate in its scientific sessions. 
Rule III was amended, by replacing the second and third sentences, so as 
to read as follows: That it shall be the duty of the Auditing Committee to 
verify the records, receipts, and disbursements maintained by the Treasurer 
and the agreement of book and bank balances; to examine all securities in 
