FBAyKLIX'S FHILOSOPFIICAL SOCIETY. 437 



of beut. In the 158 years of its existence it has published about 65 

 volumes of proceedings which attest to the catholicity of its interest. 

 Divergencies of mind in the nature of the case must prevent that sym- 

 path}' and congeniality which formerly existed in the membership. 

 The Society's publications, however, are reference books for much of the 

 excellent work done in recent years by some of the most indefatigable 

 of American scientists, such as Leidy, Brinton, Lesley and Cope. 



The Society's collections include many old prints, documents and 

 manuscripts, the library being particularly rich in Frankliniana. The 

 rooms are hung with oil portraits of the Society's presidents and of 

 distinguished members. Sully's Jefferson, Peale's copy of Martin's 

 Franklin, Peale's Eittenhouse, Stuart's Washington, Sully's Wistar 

 and Eush and busts of Franklin, Lafayette, Condorcet, Turgot, Cuvier, 

 Eittenhouse, Provost Smith and many other eminent members of a 

 former day are to be seen in this little treasure house, so full of colonial 

 memories. Most of the specimens of natural history, the old models 

 and the like have been distributed among the museums where they can 

 be more freely used by students. But the principal trophies still re- 

 main, such as Franklin's chair, a curious leather-covered construction 

 stuffed with hair in which he used to sit when the Society met at his 

 home in his last days. 



Another chair in the hall is the famous Jefferson chair. It is a 

 quaint squat chair with an arm as broad as a table and it is upon this 

 arm that Jefferson is said to have written the Declaration of Independ- 

 ence, an original autograph draft of which reposes in the Society's 

 fireproof. The chair turns round by means of some awkward, clanking 

 machinery which exists inside it, and it is a curiosity worth stopping 

 to view. One of the high Eittenhouse clocks which still keeps time 

 inside its old pine case, the theodolite with which Penn laid out the 

 city of Philadelphia, an old cell battery used by Franklin in making 

 his electrical experiments and other interesting apparatus have come 

 down to the Philosopliical Society from a hoary past. 



It now aims to invigorate its members with a new sense of their re- 

 sponsibilities. On Mr. Fraley's death General Isaac J. Wistar, a 

 nephew of Caspar Wistar, who was the Society's president in 1815-18, 

 was elected to the president's chair, and it is proposed that a general 

 meeting shall be held at least once a year to promote social intercourse 

 and for the presentation of papers on scientific subjects. The meeting 

 this year has been fixed for Easter week in the city of Philadelphia, and 

 arrangements are in progress for the reception and entertainment of 

 the members who are expected to gather there from all parts of the 

 country on that interesting occasion. 



