1888.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADEl.PHIA. 403 



At his instigation the Conchological Section of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences was founded, December 26, 1866. He was a con- 

 stituent member, and its Conservator from December, 1875, thir- 

 teen years. His skill in conchology is manifest in the admirable 

 arrangement and classification; and his incessant carefulness, in the 

 excellent condition of the collections which were under his official 

 charge. According to the annual report of the Section, December 

 1887, they consisted of 189,150 sjjecimens, contained in 51,327 trays 

 each with an appropriate label. This enormous collection, and an al- 

 most complete conchological library of 954 volumes, besides 455 

 pamphlets, bound in 26 volumes, all accessible under one roof, render 

 the facilities of study of the subject in the academy unsurpassed. 



Aj^ril 9, 1867, he made a special deposit of more than ten thousand 

 species of shells and more than a hundred jars of specimens, chiefly 

 of naked moUusks, in alcohol, gathered during his life-long devotion 

 to the subject, on condition that none should be loaned. They were 

 appropriately intercalated with the academy's collection. The dupli- 

 cates were sold, by his direction, and the proceeds of sales covered 

 into the treasury of the Conchological Section. It is nrotable that 

 he did not stipulate that this very large contribution — the largest 

 private collection in this country — should be kept separate from the 

 rest of the museum and designated by his name, which is a 

 usual condition attached to donations of private natural-history 

 cabinets to public museums. It was his opinion that it is unwise to 

 accept cabinets on such terms, because it must result sooner or later, 

 in encumbering the museum Avith the care of numberless and useless 

 duplicates, for which space cannot be easily afforded. 



The records show that Mr. Tryon contributed valuable specimens 

 to the museum every year during the remainder of his life. 



He gave, May 7, 1867, 119 volumes and 56 pamphlets on conchol- 

 ogy to the library. 



The first number of the American Journal of Conchology, of 

 which Mr. Tryon was the editor and proprietor, was issued, Febru- 

 ary 1865, Seven volumes were published, the last number in May, 

 1872. After the institution of the Conchological Section of the 

 Academy it was issued, nominally, by the publication committee of 

 the Section, of which Mr, Tryon was chairman, but he was still the 

 editor. The third and subsequent volumes contain summaries of 

 the proceedings of the Section at its stated meetings. 



