2 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [1888 



By this time, collections of natural history specimens and of 

 books had so accumulated at the rooms of the Academy, that 

 it became necessary to secure space for the accommodation of a 

 museum. In 1868 a large room on the third floor of the 

 Chatard Building, at the southwest corner of Charles and 

 Lexington streets, was rented by the Academy, and there were 

 arranged the first museum and library of the new organization. 

 Through five years of growing encouragement, the members of 

 the Academy, among whom were several of the most prominent 

 physicians, surgeons, and professors of this city, worked to 

 increase the collections of natural history. Piles of specimens, 

 such as bones of whales, skulls of saM^fish and porpoises, and 

 fi^agments of natural objects from all quarters of the earth, filled 

 the tables at every meeting. 



The more active members grouped themselves into sections, 

 each of which took charge of one or two subjects to be investi- 

 gated. At the next following meeting of the Academy a repre- 

 sentative of each section gave a report of the more conspicuous 

 or attractive objects referred thereto, and so the interest of the 

 Society was continually kept awake by the fresh material brought 

 to its consideration. 



This was the period of accumulation, when the more im- 

 pulsive and less experienced members were eager to amass an 

 universal museum of vast extent, which should appeal, by its 

 very size and comprehensiveness, to the local pride and patron- 

 age of the citizens of Baltimore. It was soon perceived that 

 such an establishment required large endowment and many 

 experienced naturalists to develop and make it useful, such as 

 were far beyond the existing opportunities of the young Society. 



Much discussion took place between the members as to the 

 future home of the museum, and it soon became apparent to the 

 citizens of Baltimore that an effort must be made to secure 

 accommodations for the increasing collections, which already 

 overflowed the apartments provided for them in the Chatard 

 Building. Accordingly, in 1873, the Academy secured the 

 lease of a lot of ground on Mulberry Street, having a front of 

 thirty feet by a depth of one hundred and fifty feet, from the 

 University of Maryland and adjoining its large building. 



