528 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



from payment of tbe regular dues on the part of those who, at the time of 

 their election or afterwards, may have their permanent residence outside of 

 said Circuit " Adopted 26th March. 



All of which is respectfully submitted, 



B. HOWARD RAND, M. D., 



Recording Secretary. 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS 



FOR 1861. 



Notwithstanding the unsettled condition of affairs of the country which ab- 

 sorbs so much the attention of our members as well as of all other citizens, the 

 Museum of the Academy, during the year about closing, has presented about as 

 much prosperity as in preceding years. 



The collections generally continue in a good state of preservation, and none 

 of the more perishable objects have suffered injury, except the entomological 

 cabinet. In this department the orthoptera, which appear to have attracted 

 little attention either for study or preservation, have been nearly destroyed. 

 The other orders have been slightly damaged, but the Curators will shortly take 

 steps to prevent further injury. The extensive herbarium and ornithological 

 cabinet, as well as the collections of mammals, reptiles, fishes and Crustacea, 

 are in excellent condition. 



A greater number of persons have visited the Museum this year than at any 

 previous time. This, though gratifying as indicative of an increasing interest 

 in our Institution, is attended with a result which requires some remedy. The 

 movements of crowds of visiters give rise to clouds of dust which penetrates 

 the cases and obscures the specimens. In default of means to render the cases 

 impervious to dust, a person should be employed to cleanse the specimens. 



The limited space occupied by the Acadtmy is fast becoming inconveniently 

 crowded by its collections, and it is to be regretted that we have no provision 

 for a further extension of our space. Certain collections receive no accommo- 

 dation whatever; as, for instance, a series of rocks or geological specimens. 

 The last resource of the Curators to accommodate large objects is to mount 

 them in the air above the cases occupying the floor, as has been recently done 

 with the skeleton of a whale. For want of room, the Curators are almost con- 

 stantly obliged to use the library, in the unpacking and packing of boxes. It 

 is greatly to be hoped that an opportunity may arise which will give us tbe 

 means of amplifying our space for the accommodation of our rapidly increasing 

 museum and library. 



The most important contributions to the Cabinet of the Academy during the 

 year, are as follows : 



1. The skeleton of a whale 30 feet in length, presented by George Davidson. 

 It was mounted by James A. Wood, and now forms one of the most conspicu- 

 ous objects of the Museum. The whale was captured last summer in the Dela- 

 ware river, opposite Philadelphia. 



2. A collection of 2500 specimens of marine animals, obtained last summer 

 on the coast of Maine. Presented by Dr. J. H. Slack. 



3. A large collection of marine animals from New Providence, Bahamas. 

 Presented by H. C. Wood, Jr. 



Besides the preceding, in addition to many objects received in exchange and 

 on deposit, the following have been presented in the various departments of 

 the Cabinet: 



Mammals. Eighty-six specimens of 30 species of rodents, bats, and carnivora, 

 were presented by Dr. J. L. LeConte ; the Smithsonian Institution presented 29 



[Dec. 



