36 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



For the furtherance of its objects, Committees were annually chosen on the Finances, 

 on Lectures, on Publications, and on Honorary and Corresponding Members. Those who 

 were active on these Committees previous to this period were Drs. Harris, Binney, Gould, 

 C. T. Jackson, Lewis, Storer,the Rev. Mr. Greenwood, and Messrs. Emerson, Dillaway, 

 J. J. Dixwell, Epes S. Dixwell, and S. E. Greene. 



Decade H. May, 1840-May, 1850. 



We now enter upon the second decade of the existence of the Society, with the grati- 

 fying fact of its freedom from debt, and its possession of a funded property sufficient at 

 least with due economy to sustain its life and enable it to do much in furtherance of its 

 objects ; but not enough to furnish the means necessary for the proper care and preserva- 

 tion of its increasing collections, as will be seen hereafter. At the first meeting after the 

 annual one, there came to hand a large donation of very valuable specimens from Dr. 

 Thomas S. Savage, a missionary at Cape Palmas, West Africa, mostly of just the character 

 which afterwards suffered greatly from lack of care, viz., insects aud reptiles. 



In June of this year, an official communication was received from the heirs of Mr. 

 Simon E. Greene, announcing the bequest before mentioned, of five hundred dollars, and 

 of some works on natural history. 



In November, the lease of the hall occupied by the Society was renewed for three years, 

 and also an arrangement similar to that of the previous year was made with the Librarian, 

 by which the meetings through the winter were held at his room in Tremont Row, in the 

 evenings, once a week until Dec. 30th, and twice a month afterwards. 



The Society had again an opportunity of making a part of its Cabinet serviceable to 

 the public otherwise than by e.\hi1)ition within its own halls, by granting permission to 

 Prof. Wyman to use specimens from it, in illustrating his course of lectures before the 

 Lowell Institute on Comparative Anatomy, given this season. 



1841. Early this year, the usual invitation was extended to the Legislature to visit the 

 Museum. On such occasions the Curators made it their business to l^e present, in order 

 that such visits might be the more agreeable and instructive. 



An attempt to render the meetings more interesting was made at this time by forming 

 committees on the several departments of natural history, who should be held responsible 

 for the presentation of communications. 



As showing a strong feeling against the absorption of the Courtis Fund in the expendi- 

 tures of the Society, action taken in February of this year is noticed. It will be remem- 

 bered that in order to liquidate outstanding debts before the last aimual meeting, a sum of 

 eight hundred dollars had been borrowed from this fund, and four notes of two hundred 

 dollars each, on interest, liad been given by the Treasurer to the Trustees of that fund. 



The Society now voted to apply the five hundred dollars, received by the bequest of 

 Mr. Simon E. Greene, and tlie proceeds of a sale to be made of the one share yet held of 

 the Granite Bank stock, to pay the first three notes ; and that the fourth note should be 

 paid out of any surplus in the hands of the Treasurer, during the current year. 



For the first time in the history of the Society, we find the Council appropriating any 

 amount of money for the use of the several departments of the Museum. The income 

 from the Courtis Fund now enabled the Curators to expend something, though little, 



