1850.] 



129 



The Library has increased from about 7000 volumes in 1836, to upwards of 

 12,000 volumes in 1850, a period of about fourteen years, nearly all of which have 

 been the gratuitous contributions of individuals or societies, very few having been 

 obtained by purchase, or through public sources. The annexed statement shows 

 the number of volumes in each department, ascertained by actual enumeration 

 within the last few days. 



Natural Sciences, 

 Anatoqay and Physiology, 

 Voyages and Travels, 

 History and Geography, 

 Trans, of Soc, Journals, Memoirs &c.. 

 Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences, 

 Maps in volumes. 

 Chemistry and Physical Science, 

 Historical documents of all descriptions. 

 Antiquities and the Fine Arts, 

 Miscellaneous, .... 

 In the Hall, but not yet presented. 

 Works in parts or numbers not yet completed, 

 and pamphlets, when bound, forming about 



Respectfully submitted by 



Hall of the Academy , Dec. 31, 1850. 



Total, 



500 



12,057 



Wm. S. Zantzinger, 



Librarian, 



The following report was read by Dr. Leidy, Chairman of the 

 Curators : 



REPORT 



OF THE CURATORS 



For 1850. 



The museum of the Academy has continued to increase during the year just 

 closing, with the vigor which characterized it the preceding two years. Several 

 of the departments have received very large accessions; others, which from their 

 comparative state of completeness preclude any extensive contributions, have re- 

 ceived donations of value and rarity ; and all have had important additions. 



The arrangement of the Cabinet of the Academy devolves upon a few members, 

 who being able to devote but a portion of their time to the purpose, from the extent 

 of the collection it must be necessarily slow. One of our most important aids in 

 this respect we lost last summer : I allude to our much lamented fellow-member 

 and Vice President, Dr. R. E. Griffith, who was steadily engaged, during his mo- 

 ments of leisure, in arranging the conchological collection, to which he had so ex- 

 tensively and liberally contributed. 



The Academy has also been unfortunate this year in the loss of another of its 

 important members. Dr. Gambel, one of our best and most enterprising ornithol- 

 ogists, who, when at home, frequently lent his valuable assistance in arranging 

 the ornithological collection. 



