<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 06/30/96
000 C000000 0000950169
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 THE ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY
001 B000000 811-2624
001 C000000 4107525900
002 A000000 SEVEN ST. PAUL STREET; SUITE 1140
002 B000000 BALTIMORE
002 C000000 MD
002 D010000 21202
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
020 A000001 S.W. RYAN & CO., INC.
020 B000001 232509528
020 C000001 106
020 A000002 GOLDMAN SACHS & CO.
020 B000002 135108880
020 C000002 42
020 A000003 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
020 B000003 135674085
020 C000003 38
020 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY & CO., INC.
020 B000004 132655998
020 C000004 33
020 A000005 OSCAR GRUSS & SONS, INC.
020 B000005 132913779
020 C000005 25
020 A000006 WELLINGTON (H.G.) & CO., INC.
020 B000006 133216715
020 C000006 22
020 A000007 ALEX BROWN & SONS
<PAGE> PAGE 2
020 B000007 521319768
020 C000007 20
020 A000008 SMITH BARNEY SHEARSON INC.
020 B000008 131912900
020 C000008 17
020 A000009 SALOMON BROTHERS, INC.
020 B000009 133082694
020 C000009 15
020 A000010 S&P SECURITIES, INC.
020 B000010 133145333
020 C000010 14
021 000000 395
022 A000001 M. STERNBURG & CO., INC.
022 B000001 061153426
022 C000001 192916
022 D000001 0
022 A000002 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
022 B000002 135674085
022 C000002 81693
022 D000002 0
022 A000003 FORD MOTOR CREDIT CORP.
022 B000003 381612444
022 C000003 51755
022 D000003 0
022 A000004 WACHOVIA BANK & TRUST CO.
022 B000004 560927594
022 C000004 49900
022 D000004 0
022 A000005 GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORP.
022 B000005 131500700
022 C000005 49721
022 D000005 0
022 A000006 CHEVRON OIL FINANCE CO.
022 B000006 251215010
022 C000006 46470
022 D000006 0
022 A000007 NATIONSBANK OF NORTH CAROLINA
022 B000007 560927416
022 C000007 30500
022 D000007 0
022 A000008 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000008 133224016
022 C000008 23848
022 D000008 0
022 A000009 MERCANTILE-SAFE DEPOSIT & TRUST CO.
022 B000009 520904511
022 C000009 20000
022 D000009 0
022 A000010 EXXON FUNDING
022 B000010 135409005
022 C000010 17949
<PAGE> PAGE 3
022 D000010 0
023 C000000 605889
023 D000000 26179
062 A000000 N
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 0.0
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 0.0
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
071 A000000 109453
071 B000000 102221
071 C000000 912321
071 D000000 11
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 4937
072 C000000 9188
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 0
072 G000000 0
072 H000000 1054
072 I000000 136
072 J000000 42
072 K000000 33
072 L000000 63
072 M000000 75
072 N000000 30
072 O000000 59
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 30
072 S000000 86
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 40
072 W000000 337
072 X000000 1985
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 12140
<PAGE> PAGE 4
072AA000000 26945
072BB000000 0
072CC010000 45440
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 9695
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 1385
073 A010000 0.3300
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0300
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 512
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 107080
074 D000000 61494
074 E000000 20159
074 F000000 869553
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 213
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 2433
074 M000000 3145
074 N000000 1064589
074 O000000 1453
074 P000000 0
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 1577
074 R040000 1882
074 S000000 0
074 T000000 1059677
074 U010000 46166
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 22.95
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 20422
074 Y000000 47770
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 1028134
076 000000 19.13
077 A000000 N
SIGNATURE J.G. WHITNEY
TITLE VICE PRES-SECRETARY