TWENTY-SECOND MEETING, January 20, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. present.

Forty-five members were

The President delivered the annual address on the topic THE HISTORY OF CLASSIFICATION IN ZOOLOGY.

In his introductory remarks he congratulated the Society upon its present flourishing condition, stating that during the year its membership had nearly doubled. He also reviewed the history of other scientific societies of the city, mentioning the National Institute, the Botanical Society, the Potomac Side Naturalists' Club, the Physical Club, and the Geological and Geographical Society, all now extinct, and the existing Philosophical, Anthropological, and Biological Societies. He also spoke of the eminent zoologists who had been, in the early days of its history, identified with the Potomac Side Naturalists' Club, the predecessor of the Biological Society, mentioning the names of Prof. S. F. Baird, Count L. F. de Pourtales, Dr. William Stimpson, Mr. Robert Kennicott, Prof. J. S. Newberry, Mr. H. Ulke, Dr. Harrison Allen, Dr. Elliott Coues, Dr. D. W. Prentiss, Dr. F. V. Hayden, Mr. F. B. Meek, Baron R. von Osten Sacken, Dr. William A. Hammond, Prof. Burt G. Wilder, Dr. George Suckley, Mr. Titian R. Peale, and others.

TWENTY-THIRD MEETING, February 3, 1882.

Prof. Lester F. Ward, V. P., occupied the chair. Thirty-three members were present.

Mr. Frederick W. True read a paper ON THE ARCTIC SEA Cow, (RHYTINA STELLERI.)* Mr. Henry W. Elliott exhibited drawings of the same extinct animal, and submitted a restoration by himself, the merits of which he advocated.

Mr. Frederick W. True exhibited an immense specimen of Siren lacertina, twenty-six inches in length, captured in the mud flats in front of the city of Washington. This species had not previously

been recorded north of North Carolina.

*To be published in the forthcoming Census Report on the Fishery industries of the United States.

TWENTY-FOURTH MEETING, February 3, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. Thirty-three members were present.

An animated discussion concerning the form of the tail, as well as the relationship and history of the Arctic Sea Cow, Rhytina Stelleri, took place. This was participated in by Messrs. Elliott, True, Coues, and Gill.

TWENTY-FIFTH MEETING, March 3, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. Ninety members were present. Mr. G. Brown Goode, chairman of the Committee on Lectures appointed by the Council, announced that, in co-operation with a similar committee, appointed by the Anthropological Society in response to an invitation from the Council of the Biological Society, a course of lectures had been arranged for; these lectures to be given on consecutive Saturdays, at 3: 30 P. M., in the lecture room of the National Museum. These lectures were to be free, and the public was to be invited. The discussion of the form of the tail and affinities of the Arctic Sea Cow was resumed; and by special vote, continued until 10: 30 P. M. The speakers were Messrs. Elliott, Coues, True, and Gill.

FIRST SATURDAY LECTURE, March 11, 1882.

An audience of about six hundred were present on the occasion of the first Saturday lecture.

Prof. Theodore Gill delivered a lecture entitled SCIENTIFIC AND POPULAR VIEWS OF NATURE CONTRASTED.*

The introductory address was delivered by Major J. W. Powell.†

* 1882. GILL, THEODORE N. Scientific and Popular Views of Nature Contrasted. <The Saturday Lectures, | delivered in the | Lecture Room of the U. S. National Museum, | under the auspices of the | Anthropological and Biological Societies | of Washington, | in March and April, 1882 | — | D. Lothrop |– & Co., | 30 and 32 Franklin Street, Boston, Mass. | Washington, D. C. :-Judd & Detweiler, Printers and Publishers. | 1882. | 8vo., pp. (4) 185: (pp. 5-22). Also separately as Saturday Lecture No. 1, with title page, pp. 24.

1882. POWELL, JOHN W. Introductory Address (to the Saturday Lectures.) <<The Saturday Lectures, pp. 1-3.

TWENTY-SIXTH MEETING, March 17, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. present.

Forty-five members were

Dr. Elliott Coues read a paper entitled ON RECENT ADVANCES IN ORNITHOLOGY, on the occasion of laying before the Society, in advance of publication, a complete copy of the work below cited.* Remarks were made by Messrs. Gill, Ward, and Coues.

Dr. Edward Foreman exhibited a map of the Cretaceous fossil beds of Maryland.

SECOND SATURDAY LECTURE, March 18, 1882.

About six hundred persons listened to the lecture of Prof. Otis T. Mason on the topic: WHAT IS ANTHROPOLOGY?†

THIRD SATURDAY LECTURE, March 25, 1882.

An audience of about six hundred persons listened to the lecture by Prof. J. W. Chickering, Jr., on CONTRASTS OF THE APPALACHIAN MOUNTAINS.

TWENTY-SEVENTH MEETING, March 31, 1882.

Prof. Lester F. Ward, V. P., occupied the chair. Eighty members were present.

Dr. D. Webster Prentiss read a paper entitled MESMERISM IN

* 1882. CourS, ELLIOTT. The | Coues Check List | of | North American Birds. Second Edition, | Revised to Date, and entirely Rewritten, under Direction of the Author, | with a Dictionary of the | Etymology, Orthography, and Orthocpy of the | Scientific Names, | the Concordance of Previous Lists, and a Catalogue of his | Ornithological Publications. | [Monogram.] | Boston: | Estes and Lauriat. | 1882.-1 vol., imp. Svo., pp. 1-165.

† 1882. MASON, OTIS T. What is Anthropology? <The Saturday Lectures, &c.. pp. 25-43; also separate as Saturday Lecture No. 2. with title page, 8vo., pp. 21.

1882. CHICKERING, JOHN W., Jr. Contrasts of the Appalachian Mountains. <<The Saturday Lectures, &c., pp. 44-59; also separate with title page as Saturday Lecture No. 3, 8vo., 16 pp.

ANIMALS, and at its close mesmerized a canary bird and a fowl. The paper was discussed by Messrs. Schaeffer, Billings, Ellzey, Coues, Wolfley, Riley, True, King, Gilbert and Gihon.

FOURTH SATURDAY LECTURE, April 1, 1882.

About eight hundred persons listened to the lecture of Major J. W. Powell on OUTLINES OF SOCIOLOGY.*

FIFTH SATURDAY LECTURE, April 8th 1882.

About seven hundred and fifty persons listened to the lecture of Prof. C. V. Riley, on LITTLE KNOWN FACTS ABOUT WELL KNOWN ANIMALS.†

TWENTY-EIGHTH MEETING, April 14, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. Sixty-five members were in attendance. Prof. William H. Brewer, of Yale College, was present as a guest.

Dr. Frank Baker proposed amendments to the Constitution as follows:

IN ARTICLE III. Strike out the words, "upon recommendation of the majority of the members present at its regular meeting;" and substitute for the words "a majority vote of the members present when the ballot is taken shall be necessary to an election," the words "seven affirmative votes shall be necessary to an election."

IN ARTICLE IV. Strike out the words, "its duty shall be to act on nominations," &c., and substitute-" It shall conduct all the business of the Society except the election of officers."

In ARTICLE XII. Strike out sections III, IV and V.

A committee of five, consisting of Messrs. Ward, Goode, Chickering, Riley, and Rathbun, was appointed to confer with the

* 1882. POWELL, JOHN W. Outlines of Sociology. <The Saturday Lectures, &c., pp. 60-82, also separate with title page as Saturday Lecture No. 4. 8vo. p. 25.

1882. RILEY, CHARLES V. Little Known Facts About Well Known Animals. <<The Saturday Lectures, &c. pp. 83-112. Also separate with title page as Saturday Lecture No. 5. 8vo., pp. 32. Fifteen woodcuts.

committees appointed by the Anthropological and Philosophical Societies in reference to the proposed scheme for the consolidation of the Scientific Societies of Washington and the formation of an Academy of Sciences and to report the result of their conferences.

Dr. Frank Baker read a paper entitled ON THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THE ARTERIES. This was discussed by Messrs. Gill, Barnard, and Scudder.

Mr. G. Brown Goode exhibited several remarkable specimens of taxidermic skill from the work shops of the National Museum.*

SIXTH SATURDAY LECTURE, April 15, 1882.

About six hundred persons listened to the lecture of Dr. Robert Fletcher upon PAUL BROCA AND THE FRENCH SCHOOL OF ANTHROPOLOGY.†

SEVENTH SATURDAY LECTURE, April 22, 1882.

Abot six hundred and fifty persons assembled to hear the lecture by Mr. William H. Dall upon DEEP-SEA EXPLORATIONS. Among the audience was Captain Sir George S. Nares, R. N., late commander of the British corvette " Challenger' during its three years cruise of deep-sea exploration.

TWENTY-NINTH MEETING, April 28, 1882.

The President occupied the chair. Forty-five members were present. The Society voted that the next regular meeting of the Society should be a "Darwin Memorial Meeting." A committee

* See Report of the Assistant Director of the U. S. National Museum. <Report of Smithsonian Institution for 1881.

† 1882. FLETCHER, ROBERT. Paul Broca and the French School of Anthropology. <The Saturday Lectures, &c. pp. 113-142. Also as separate, with title page. 8vo., pp. 32.

1882. DALL, WILLIAM H.

Deep-Sea Explorations. <<The Satur

day Lectures, &c. pp. 143-162. Also separate, with title page, as Saturday Lecture No. 7. 8vo., pp. 22.