UNITED STATES
         SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION
              Washington, D.C. 20549
                        Form 13F
                  Form 13F COVER PAGE
  Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter         March 31, 2006

  Check here if Amendment [       ];    Amendment Num

  This amendment (Check only one.) :          [     ] is a restat

  Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report:
  Name:        The Adams Express Company
  Address:     7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1140
               Baltimore, MD  21202

  Form 13F File Number   28-597


  The institutional investment manager filing this report and
  the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the perso



  Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager:



  Name:      Christine M. Sloan
  Title      Assistant Treasurer
  Phone      (410) 752-5900

  Signature, Place, and Date of Signing:

  Christine M. Sloan       Baltimore, MD          May 11, 2006

   [Signature]             [City, State]             [Date]



  Report Type (Check only one.):

  [X]   13F HOLDINGS REPORT.  (Check here if all holdings of this repor

  [   ]   13F NOTICE.  (Check here if no holdings repo

  [   ]   13F COMBINATION REPORT.  (Check here if a portion of the hold


  List of Other Managers Reporting for this Manager:
  Form 13F File Number Name
  28

  [Repeat as necessary.]



  Form 13F SUMMARY PAGE
  Report Summary:

  Number of Other Included Managers:     0

  Form 13F Information Table Entry Total:82

  Form 13F Information Table Value Total:$   1,295,996
                                                  (in thousands)

  List of Other Included Managers:

  Provide a numbered list of the name (s) and Form 13F file numb




  [If there are no entries in this list, state "NONE" and omit the
  column headings and
  list entries.]


  No.     rm 13-F File No.     Name
          28-

  [Repeat as necessary.]

  
  
  

       COLUMN 1           COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4        COLUMN 5  COLUMN 6  COLUMN 7    COLUMN 8
    NAME OF ISSUER     ITLE OF CLASS CUSIP  UE IN 000'sS/PRN AMOUNT           R MANAGOTING AUTHORITY
                                                                /PR/CALT DISCRETN     SOLE HAREDNONE
  
                                                             >C>     
  3M COMPANY              COM     88579Y101  12,110    160,000  SH      SOLE        160,000
  ABBOTT LABS             COM     002824100  14,864    350,000  SH      SOLE        350,000
  ADVANCED MEDICAL OPTI   COM     00763M108  13,992    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMIC   COM     009158106  16,797    250,000  SH      SOLE        250,000
  ALLTEL CORP.            COM     020039103  19,425    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP   COM     023139108  23,482    295,000  SH      SOLE        295,000
  AMERICAN INT'L GROUP    COM     026874107  33,045    500,000  SH      SOLE        500,000
  AQUA AMERICA, INC.      COM     03836W103  22,256    800,000  SH      SOLE        800,000
  AT&T CORP               COM     00206R102  16,089    595,000  SH      SOLE        595,000
  AUTOMATIC DATA PROCES   COM     053015103  13,704    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  AVAYA INC.              COM     053499109  6,780     600,000  SH      SOLE        600,000
  AVON PRODUCTS           COM     054303102  13,091    420,000  SH      SOLE        420,000
  BANK OF AMERICA         COM     060505104  25,047    550,000  SH      SOLE        550,000
  BANKATLANTIC BANCORP    CL A    065908501  10,792    750,000  SH      SOLE        750,000
  BEA SYSTEMS INC.        COM     073325102  10,504    800,000  SH      SOLE        800,000
  BJ WHOLESALE CLUB       COM     05548J106  15,755    500,000  SH      SOLE        500,000
  BLACK HILLS CORP        COM     092113109  8,330     245,000  SH      SOLE        245,000
  BP P.L.C.          SPONSORED ADR055622104  18,614    270,000  SH      SOLE        270,000
  BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB    COM     110122108  8,490     345,000  SH      SOLE        345,000
  BUNGE LTD.              COM     G16962105  13,092    235,000  SH      SOLE        235,000
  CINTAS CORP.            COM     172908105  12,786    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  CISCO SYSTEMS           COM     17275R102  26,004   1,200,000 SH      SOLE       1,200,000
  CLEAR CHANNEL COMMUNI   COM     184502102  10,154    350,000  SH      SOLE        350,000
  COMCAST CORP.           CL A    20030N101  9,548     365,000  SH      SOLE        365,000
  COMPASS BANKSHARES IN   COM     20449H109  15,183    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  CONOCOPHILLIPS          COM     20825C104  21,787    345,000  SH      SOLE        345,000
  CORNING INC             COM     219350105  13,455    500,000  SH      SOLE        500,000
  CREE INC.               COM     225447101  12,304    375,000  SH      SOLE        375,000
  CURTISS-WRIGHT CORP     COM     231561101  15,226    230,000  SH      SOLE        230,000
  DEAN FOODS              COM     242370104  17,473    450,000  SH      SOLE        450,000
  DEL MONTE FOODS         COM     24522P103  13,224   1,115,000 SH      SOLE       1,115,000
  DELL INC.               COM     24702R101  11,904    400,000  SH      SOLE        400,000
  DONNELLEY R R & SONS    COM     257867101  8,507     260,000  SH      SOLE        260,000
  DUKE ENERGY CORP.       COM     264399106  17,827    611,560  SH      SOLE        611,560
  DUPONT EI DE NEMOURS    COM     263534109  15,196    360,000  SH      SOLE        360,000
  EMERSON ELECTRIC        COM     291011104  16,726    200,000  SH      SOLE        200,000
  EXXON MOBIL CORP.       COM     30231G102  7,912     130,000  SH      SOLE        130,000
  FIFTH THIRD BANC        COM     316773100  11,021    280,000  SH      SOLE        280,000
  FLORIDA ROCK INDUSTRI   COM     341140101  8,433     150,000  SH      SOLE        150,000
  GANNETT INC.            COM     364730101  6,741     112,500  SH      SOLE        112,500
  GENENTECH, INC          COM     368710406  18,592    220,000  SH      SOLE        220,000
  GENERAL ELECTRIC CO.    COM     369604103  51,742   1,487,700 SH      SOLE       1,487,700
  HCA INC.                COM     404119109  11,447    250,000  SH      SOLE        250,000
  ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS     COM     452308109  12,039    125,000  SH      SOLE        125,000
  INTEL CORP              COM     458140100  5,999     310,000  SH      SOLE        310,000
  INVESTORS FINANCIAL S   COM     461915100  17,928    382,500  SH      SOLE        382,500
  JOHNSON & JOHNSON       COM     478160104  15,101    255,000  SH      SOLE        255,000
  LAB CORP. OF AMERICA    COM     50540R409  13,158    225,000  SH      SOLE        225,000
  LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES     COM     549463107  8,845    2,900,000 SH      SOLE       2,900,000
  MARATHON OIL CO.        COM     565849106  8,379     110,000  SH      SOLE        110,000
  MARTIN MARIETTA MATER   COM     573284106  8,883      83,000  SH      SOLE         83,000
  MASCO CORP              COM     574599106  14,621    450,000  SH      SOLE        450,000
  MDU RESOURCES GROUP,    COM     552690109  12,544    375,000  SH      SOLE        375,000
  MEDIMMUNE INC.          COM     584699102  8,230     225,000  SH      SOLE        225,000
  MEDTRONIC INC.          COM     585055106  15,732    310,000  SH      SOLE        310,000
  MICROSOFT CORP          COM     594918104  32,108   1,180,000 SH      SOLE       1,180,000
  MORGAN STANLEY CO.      COM     617446448  10,993    175,000  SH      SOLE        175,000
  MURPHY OIL CORP.        COM     626717102  4,484      90,000  SH      SOLE         90,000
  NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC   COM     651229106  12,973    515,000  SH      SOLE        515,000
  NORTHFORK BANKCORP      COM     659424105  15,136    525,000  SH      SOLE        525,000
  ORACLE CORP             COM     68389X105  18,564   1,356,001 SH      SOLE       1,356,001
  OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE IN   COM     689899102  13,860    315,000  SH      SOLE        315,000
  PEPSI CO. INC.          COM     713448108  25,428    440,000  SH      SOLE        440,000
  PETROLEUM & RESOURCES   COM     716549100  65,935   1,985,996 SH      SOLE       1,985,996
  PFIZER INC              COM     717081103  27,910   1,120,000 SH      SOLE       1,120,000
  PROCTER & GAMBLE COMP   COM     742718109  19,591    340,000  SH      SOLE        340,000
  ROHM & HAAS CO.         COM     775371107  19,548    400,000  SH      SOLE        400,000
  SAFEWAY, INC            COM     786514208  10,626    423,000  SH      SOLE        423,000
  SAPIENT CORP            COM     803062108  8,775    1,150,000 SH      SOLE       1,150,000
  SCHLUMBERGER LTD        COM     806857108  24,048    190,000  SH      SOLE        190,000
  SMURFIT-STONE CONTAIN   COM     832727101  8,821     650,000  SH      SOLE        650,000
  SOLECTRON CORP          COM     834182107  7,400    1,850,000 SH      SOLE       1,850,000
  TARGET CORP.            COM     87612E106  21,324    410,000  SH      SOLE        410,000
  THE COCA-COLA CO.       COM     191216100  8,374     200,000  SH      SOLE        200,000
  UNILEVER PLC ADR   SPON ADR NEW 904767704  14,169    345,000  SH      SOLE        345,000
  UNITED PARCEL SERVICE COM CL B  911312106  12,304    155,000  SH      SOLE        155,000
  UNITED TECHNOLOGIES     COM     913017109  17,391    300,000  SH      SOLE        300,000
  WACHOVIA CORP.          COM     929903102  22,140    395,000  SH      SOLE        395,000
  WELLS FARGO COMPANY     COM     949746101  20,758    325,000  SH      SOLE        325,000
  WILMINGTON TRUST CORP   COM     971807102  18,207    420,000  SH      SOLE        420,000
  WYETH COMPANY           COM     983024100  15,769    325,000  SH      SOLE        325,000
  ZIMMER HLDGS INC.       COM     98956P102  8,450     125,000  SH      SOLE        125,000
                                           1,295,996