3 
■emy that its labors have been successful, a proposed modification of 
the postal laws having been adopted by the Universal Postal Union 
whereby specimens of natural history are admitted to the mails of 
the Union at the same rates as samples of merchandise. The Acad¬ 
emy is to be congratulated that this very desirable result is due to 
the efficiency of its Committee, which consisted of Messrs. Calvert, 
Pilsbry and Woolman. 
An application to the Legislature authorized March 30,1897, for 
an appropriation from the public funds toward the furnishing of 
the new building of the Academy, was productive of absolutely no 
result. 
The Hayden Memorial Geological Award for 1897 was conferred 
on Professor A. Karpinski, Director of the Geological Survey of 
Russia. The medal and a draft for the annual interest on the fund 
were presented to the recipient of the recognition by Dr. Persifor 
Frazer, the Academy’s representative at the 7th International Con¬ 
gress of Geologists, at a public session of the Congress. The Acad¬ 
emy, as a member of the Congress, will receive its official publica¬ 
tions. 
A resolution protesting against the passage of a bill providing 
for the damming of the Delaware River was adopted March 30th, 
and transmitted to the Governor of New Jersey, who was not, how¬ 
ever, deterred thereby from signing the bill. This and similar pro¬ 
tests were heeded by the Legislature of Pennsylvania, and, the meas¬ 
ure being defeated at Harrisburg became inoperative, as the two 
States must agree on any action affecting the Delaware River. 
Three deaths occurring during the year have rendered it sorrow¬ 
fully memorable in the history of the Academy. The society has 
indeed suffered severe loss since 1891, when the death of Dr. Leidy 
left a vacancy in its working force which has not in any degree been 
filled. Since then eight members, distinguished as original inves¬ 
tigators or able in the administration of its affairs, have died in 
rapid succession. The most recent of these, Edward D. Cope, Har¬ 
rison Allen and George H. Horn, were recognized throughout the 
scientific world as of eminence in their several specialties, each in 
his degree added lustre to the work of the Academy, and each left 
on record substantial evidence of his interest in its welfare. Iden¬ 
tified as these distinguished naturalists were with the Academy’s 
activity as an agent of intellectual progress for more than thirty 
years, the immediate future is not likely to compensate for their 
loss. 
