1848.] 133 



Since the report of the Curators for 1847 was presented to the Academy, the 

 Eastern and North-East basement rooms, appropriated to part of the museum, have 

 been finished, and the collections in Mineralogy, Conchology, Entomology, &c., 

 have already been nearly arranged in them. 



Further accommodations also have been made for the extension of the Ornitholo- 

 gical collection in the hall of the Academy, by the construction of a rowr of foot 

 cases on the outer edge of the upper or third gallery, similar to those previously 

 existing on the same part of the second gallery. 



Every department of the museum has been, and continues to be, carefully 

 attended to, and to most of them, additions have been made during the year 1848, 

 of which we will now give a summary. 



The Mammalogical collection, in its present condition, numbers 234 mounted 

 specimens, besides a number of skins, all in a good state of preservation. It has 

 received an addition of 16 specimens during the past year, principally from Drs. 

 Watson, Wilson, Goddard, and Mr. Wm. Wood. 



The Ornithological cabinet, under the patronage of Dr. Wilson, still continues to 

 be the most extensive department of our museum, as well as one of the richest 

 collections in the world. This gentleman, during the past year has greatly 

 increased it, by the deposit of the second portion of the Rivoli collection, 

 coutaining 2584 specimens, and the collection known as that of M. Boucier, 

 of France, comprising 1039 specimens. We have also to acknowledge 

 our indebtedness to the liberality of Mr. Edward Harris, for the donation of 

 a collection of rare North American birds, including nearly all the species discov- 

 ered by Harris and Audubon during the last expedition of those gentlemen to the 

 mouth of the Yellow Stone river. Besides the foregoing, we have received from 

 members and others 14 specimens, several of which are unique, as the Picus 

 Lecontei, from Dr. Jones of Georgia, &c. 



Dr. Wm. Gambel, the Recording Secretary, presented to the Society, a few 

 evenings since, a complete catalogue of the Columbids in the Academy's collec- 

 tion. Catalogues of the Vultures and Owls are also nearly ready and will 

 apf)ear in an early number of the Proceedings. 



To our collection in Oology, has been added, through the kindness of Professor 

 Baird of Carlisle, a donation of eggs of 56 species of 41 genera of American birds, 

 24 species of which were accompanied by the nests. To Dr. Heerman we must 

 also express our thanks for seven rare species of eggs from Florida. 



The Conchological department is still in progress of arrangement by Dr. R. E. 

 Griffith, in the horizontal cases occupying the floor of the east basement room, 

 and has been much enriched during 1848 from the private cabinets of Dr. Griffith 

 and Dr. Wilson. I'hese latter have not yet been formally presented through the 

 Curators. We are much indebted to Dr. T. S. Savage, whose zeal in science is 

 only excelled by his former labours in the religious office of missionary to West- 

 ern Africa, for the donation of 226 specimens of shells, comprising 120 species 

 of GO genera of rare shells from Western Africa. To Mr. Andrew R. Chambers 

 of Philadelphia the gratitude of the Society is owing for the gift of two cabinets, 

 containing 1200 specimens of shells, being part of the well known Hyde collection, 

 formerly deposited in Peale's museum. 



The collection of Crustacea has been arranged by Dr. Bridges during the past 



