The Bulletin is published monthly from October to May by the College of Charles- 

 ton and is devoted to descriptions of exhibits, reports of lectures, and notes from the 

 Museum. Entered at the post office at Charleston, S. C, as second class matter. 



BULLETIN '^"' 



bota 

 of the qam. 



COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON MUSEUM 



Editkd by PAUL M. RE A 



DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM AND PROFESSOR OF BIOLOGY 



Vol. 2 Charleston, S. C., December, 1906 No. 8 





A NEW EPOCH IN THE HISTORY OF THE HUSEUM 



A series of articles on the History of the Museum, appear- 

 ing from time to time in the Bulletin, have shown that this 

 is probably the oldest existing museum of general natural 

 history in America, having originated in 1798 or earlier under 

 the auspices of the Charleston Library Society. In 181 5 the 

 collections and cases were transferred to the newly organized 

 Literary and Philosophical Society of South Carolina, which 

 largely increased them and for many years maintained a public 

 museum in Chalmers Street. 



In 1850 the collections were transferred to the College of 

 Charleston and the Museum entered upon the third epoch of 

 its history, receiving the benefit of the interest aroused by the 

 meeting in Charleston of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, and the stimulus of the work of the 

 elder Agassiz in the city. 



69 



