1898.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 509 



counted last August, 43, 381 volumes. The last previous enumera- 

 tion was made in 1888 when there were 30,831 volumes on the 

 shelves; the addition of 12,550 volumes, therefore, in ten years, is a 

 gratifying rate of increase in view of the strictly special character 

 of the library. 



In two lectures on the literature of natural history delivered in 

 November as introductory to the Academy's Ludwick Institute 

 courses for the year, I had the pleasure of commenting on some of 

 the bibliographical treasures of the library while defining the scope 

 and purpose of such a collection. The Academy is to be congratu- 

 lated on the fact that there is probably no other in America from 

 which the subject could be illustrated so amply. 



It gives me renewed pleasure to again acknowledge my indebted- 

 ness to Mr. Wm. J. Fox for efficient assistance during the year. 



Edw. J. Nolan, 



Librarian. 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS. 



The Curators are able to report the collections under their care to 

 be in an excellent state of preservation. 



Besides the preparation and cataloguing of new material received 

 during the year, it has been possible to devote considerable atten- 

 tion to the re-arrangement of several departments of the museum. 



Following the plan adopted last year, about half of the wall cases 

 were removed from the upper gallery of the old museum and erected 

 in the new basement, thus completing the Alcoholic department as 

 originally planned. All the remaining Alcoholics, comprising the 

 Reptilia, Batrachia, Mammalia, and Invertebrata were transferred 

 to these cases. The systematic arrangement of the Fishes and 

 Invertebrata has been completed, the latter as well as the Reptilia 

 and Batrachia having been catalogued during the year. 



It might be added that the entire zoological collection of the 

 Academy has now been catalogued, except a part of the Mollusca, 

 the dry Invertebrate preparations, and the Osteological preparations 

 of Fish, Reptiles, and Batrachians. 



The magnitude of this work can be appreciated when it is learned 

 that the combined number of catalogue entries of the vertebrates 

 amounts to sixty-five thousand six hundred. 



