be used by the Committee in the purchase of such books as they might order. In the course of the correspondence which ensued upon this subject between the Librarian, on behalf of the Committee and a prominent bookseller in London, it was frankly stated by the latter that new English publications could be purchased much cheaper in New York than a regular dealer in London could buy them there. The authority given to the Committee has not been exercised.

The Committee on the Building and Grounds were authorized last June to cause Pawtuxet water to be brought into the Athenæum building, but this has not as yet been done. The necessity of a supply of pure water for the boiler as well as for other purposes will doubtless lead to its immediate introduc

tion.

The annual statement of the Librarian to the Directors, shows that the number of volumes added to the library during the past year is six hundred and eighty-six, and of pamphlets one hundred and thirty-five. Of the volumes there were added

Of the pamphlets 25 were purchased and 110 given. The average cost of the books bought is $2.08 per volume, and the

character of them is fully equal to that of those added in any former year. year. The departments of Science and of the Fine Arts especially, have received many valuable additions. The whole number of volumes in the library reckoning by the annual accessions, is 33,823. But as many volumes are every year worn out and some lost, it is not probable that there are more than 33,000 volumes on the shelves at the present time. Among the gifts received, special mention should be made of a fine set of "American State papers, second series, from 1822 to 1859 inclusive," in seventeen volumes folio, from Hon. John R. Bartlett. From Hon. Henry B. Anthony the Athenæum has received over fifty volumes of valuable Congressional documents. Hon. Benjamin T. Eames has given to the library the "Medical and Surgical History of the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1865." Part 1st. Vols. 1 and 2, 4to., one of the most costly and valuable documents published by Congress. Dr. Charles W. Parsons has added to our collection of illustrated works the "Rhododendrons of Sikkim Himalaya," by Joseph Dalton Hooker, London, 1849, imp. folio.

The thanks of the institution are gratefully tendered to the above named gentlemen and to the following persons and societies for their gifts:

LIST OF DONORS.

James B. Angell, Ann Arbor, Mich., John A. J. Creswell, Washington, Henry T. Beckwith,

D. C.

Thomas W. Bicknell, Barrington, R.I., J. Lewis Diman,
Holder Borden Bowen,

David F. Boyd, Baton Rouge, La.,
J. G. Brincklé, Philadelphia, Pa.,
Samuel W. Brown,

C. S. Cartée, Charlestown, Mass.,
Edward T. Caswell,

Henry R. Chace,

William W. Chapin,

Thomas M. Clark,

Henry T. Drowne, New York,
Amasa M. Eaton, North Providence,
R. I.,

John Eaton, Jr., Washington, D. C.,
Richard S. Edes, Bolton, Mass.,

William Gammell,

Samuel S. Green, Worcester, Mass.,

William Grosvenor,

Charles R. Hale, Auburn, N. Y.,

M. H. Mallory & Co., Hartford, Conn., Mechanics' Middlesex Association of

Philadelphia Library Company,

Republican National Committee,
Smithsonian Institution,

Benjamin Peirce, Cambridge, Mass., State of Rhode Island,

The whole number of volumes issued during the year is 22,

852, a considerable increase over last year, viz:

Of prose fiction and juvenile books,

The number of shares extant at the rendering of the last report was 653. Fifty of these have not been used during the past year. Only four new shares have been sold, but a great many have changed hands, as an unusual number of our shareholders have removed from the city, and not less than fourteen have died within the year. The library has been carefully examined by the librarian and his assistant, and twelve volumes are found missing from the shelves and not accounted for; all of them from the department of Fiction and Juvenile books.

The report of the Treasurer shows that the receipts of the year have been 5,611.38, from the following sources:

1,021.79

Balance of receipts over expenditures,

Book cases have been erected in the east room of the basement for the better preservation of the newspapers belonging to the institution.

One of the most interesting events in the history of the Athenæum has been the erection of a mural granite drinking fountain on its grounds in front of the main entrance to the building.

At the first meeting of the Directors, after their election, it was stated by Mr. Royal C. Taft,—one of their number,—that a friend of the Athenæum was disposed to make a donation to it of a drinking fountain, should the idea be favorably entertained by the institution. The suggestion was cordially received by the Board, and the subject was referred to the Committee on the Building and Grounds. At the next meeting of the Directors in November, they formally expressed their approval of the undertaking, and in February following, Mr. Taft, who had been appointed a committee to confer with its author, presented plans of the proposed fountain, which were approved and adopted, and resolutions were passed recomending them to the shareholders for their final acceptance and directing a call for a special meeting of the Corporation to act upon the subject.

The shareholders at their meeting thus called, on the 12th day of February, authorized the Directors to accept the offer made to them, and at the meeting of the Board in March, a communication was received from the Water Commissioners of the city stating that they had adopted the proposed fountain as one of the thirty drinking fountains, to be supplied with Pawtuxet water directed by the city council to be erected for public use, provided that the arrangements for its use should be approved by the Chief Engineer.

At the regular meeting of the Directors in the present month, a communication was received from Mr. F. E. Richmond, of this city, announcing the fact of the completion of the fountain, and disclosing the name of its generous giver,