OCT 
inn? 
Dec., 1901.] NATURAL 8CIENCE8 OF PHILADELPHIA. 741 
The following reports were ordered to be printed: 
REPORT OF THE PRESIDENT. 
Upon the removal of the Academy to its present location in 
1876, the President, Dr. W. S. W. Ruschenberger, prepared a 
brief history of the institution, with a summary of its collections 
and publications, which appeared in the popular guide to the 
Museum in that year. 
Subsequently throughout his term of office, Dr. Ruschenberger 
presented a President’s annual report, the last appearing in the 
Proceedings for 1881. 
His successors having discontinued this practice, there has been 
no summarized account of the operations of the Academy during 
the past twenty years, and it is my purpose to present such a 
resume in the following pages. 
During this period three members have occupied the President’s 
chair, Dr. Joseph Leidy, Gen. Isaac J. Wistar and Dr. Samuel G. 
Dixon. William S. Vaux, Thomas Meehan, Henry C. McCook 
and Arthur Erwin Brown have served as Vice-Presidents; William 
C. Henzey, Isaac C. Martindale, Charles P. Perot and George 
Vaux, Jr., as Treasurers; George H. Horn and Benjamin Sharp 
as Corresponding Secretaries, while Edward J. Nolan has contin¬ 
ued as Recording Secretary and Librarian throughout the entire 
period. 
To the membership there have been added 505 names, while 374 
have been lost by resignation or death. Among the latter are 
many of the Academy’s staunchest supporters, to whom her present 
prosperous condition is largely due, and many of her most brilliant 
students, who by their labors have spread her reputation to all 
parts of the world. 
During this period the regular weekly meetings of the Academy 
have been held, the attendance decreasing as natural history 
became more and more specialized. Verbal communications of 
importance have been made both by members and visitors, and 
various explorers have by request presented reports of their expedi- 
