establishment of a Museum, especially from the invaluable fossil remains 

 in her immediate vicinity, and announced the gratifying fact from his 

 own personal observation, that our infant Museum, although but four- 

 teen months old, has nothing to compare with it in the whole Union, 

 save the superior institution in Philadelphia, which has existed for 30 

 years. 



"The Museum occupies the entire extent of the upper story of the 

 main college edifice and the specimens are most tastefully and skilfully 

 arranged and classified. Its value is said by scientific men to be beyond 

 computation in money, and its creation and possession are an honor to 

 our City." 



The formal "public opening" of the Museum was set for 

 the following Saturday, January 31, 1852, not "in November, 

 1851," as Prof. Ashley states in his "very hastily prepared" 

 General Guide to the Museum (p. 4) , but though advertised 

 in The Courier of that date and the day previous, there is no 

 account of the proceedings to be found in the files of that 

 paper. In the Charleston Evening News of February 2, 1852, 

 there is, however, a column article describing in some detail 

 the ceremonies of the occasion, but adding nothing to the 

 historical facts noted above. 



In the fail of 1853 the Elliott Society of Natural History 

 was organized with Prof. Holmes as its Secretary and one of 

 its most active members. The Society met at the College 

 and its Books ware deposited in the College Library and all 

 contributions to its Collection in the Museum. Through this 

 agency many valuable specimens were added to the rapidly 

 increasing number, and to-day, with the exception of the 

 old manuscript in the Charleston Library, perhaps the most 

 important accession lists of any portion of the collection are 

 to be found in the published "Proceedings" of the Society, or 

 appended to its printed Constitution and By-Laws. 



On October 28, 1861, Prof. Holmes reported to the Board 

 of Trustees the receipt of a magnificent donation from 

 Mr. James Hamilton Couper, of St. Simon's Island, Georgia, 

 consisting of Fossils, Minerals and Recent Shells, "The 



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