MEMOIR. XXV 



self made respectable attainments in the funda- 

 mental principles of natural science, and even in 

 all its separate branches, he was at the same 

 time the man of business, the man of fortune, the 

 man of prospective leisure, and the man who had 

 consecrated that leisure to the interests of science 

 and art. 



Not the least among the items for which science 

 is indebted to Dr. Binney, must we reckon his 

 superb library. It numbers many hundred vol- 

 umes, and at his death was undoubtedly the most 

 important library of works on zoology in America. 

 It was by no means the largest ; but it contained 

 more of the modern works, on those topics which 

 are essential to the study of natural history in its 

 present state, than any other one library in the 

 country. Many of the books are splendid, rare, 

 and very costly works; and all are in elegant 

 binding. These he granted free use of, to all 

 who desired it ; and indeed it had become indis- 

 pensable, in the investigation of any important 

 topic in zoology, to consult his library ; and for 

 this purpose it was visited by gentlemen from all 

 parts of the Union. 



Having frequent occasion to travel, and thus 

 visiting every quarter of the Union, he formed 



VOL. I. D 



