found, but has never completed it. It is much to be regretted that this important work has not been finished. In 1889 the academy sent observers into the field to study the total eclipse of that year. The party consisted of Professors Pritchett, Nipher, Engler, Mr. Charoppin, and Signor Valle. Their report was entitled Total Eclipse of the Sun, January, 1889. A Report of Observations made by the Washington University Eclipse Party at Norman, California. The report was published by the academy, and is a quarto of thirty-nine pages, with six plates.
The present form of publication of the Transactions is convenient, and secures prompt dating of the papers read. Important papers are printed, soon after reading, as brochures in separate covers. When a sufficient number of these to form a volume has been issued the official minutes of meetings and an index are also issued, and the volume is closed. To give an adequate idea of the range and value of the recent papers printed by the academy would be impossible in this article. But few can even be mentioned. Pritchard, Engler, and Nipher have repeatedly printed articles of great importance in mathematics, astronomy, and physics. A series of most interesting papers upon the relations between plants and insects, and other botanical subjects, has emanated from Dr. Trelease's work in the Shaw School of Botany. The indefatigable librarian, Dr. G. Hambach, who probably knows more of the details of the academy's history than any other man now living, has contributed valuable papers, beautifully illustrated with his own drawings, upon fossil echinoderms. Among other papers by Dr. Woodward are some dealing with points of curious interest to the teacher and the anthropologist. In pure anthropology, Dr. W. T. Porter's three papers upon St. Louis school children—Physical Basis of Precocity and Dullness, Growth of St. Louis School Children, and Relations between Growth of Children and their Deviation from the Physical Type of their Sex and Age—are almost likely to be classical.
After this brief historical sketch it will be well, in closing, to summarily state the present condition of the academy. Two hundred and eight active members are at present on the list, paying annual dues of five dollars each. There are two hundred and four corresponding members. The library contains twelve thousand books and eight thousand pamphlets; it is open certain hours daily. Six volumes of Transactions aggregating 4,539 pages, and twelve brochures of Volume VII aggregating 298 pages, have been printed to date. Other publications as above specified have been issued. The exchange list includes 550 scientific institutions. The academy has six thousand dollars of permanent fund, one thousand of which came by bequest from Henry Shaw, one thousand from savings, and
