_ BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 101 



" Second, for the next best memoir, a prize not exceeding fifty dollars m.ay be awarded 

 at the discretion of the committee ; but neither of the above prizes shall be awarded 

 unless the memoirs presented shall be deemed of adequate merit. 



" Third, Grand Honorary Prize. The sum of two hundred dollars shall be set aside each 

 year from the income of the trust fund representing the donation of the said William J. 

 Walker, and shall with the accumulations therefrom, form a prize fund ; when said prize 

 fund amounts to the sum of two thousand dollars, the Council of the Society may award 

 and pay therefrom tlie sum of five hundred dollars for such scientific investigation, or dis- 

 covery in natural history, as they may think deserving thereof; provided such investiga- 

 tion or discovery shall have first been made known and published in the United States of 

 America, and shall have been at the time of said award, made known and published at 

 least one year ; if in consequence of the extraordinary merit of any such investigation or 

 discovery, the Council of the Society shall see fit, they may award therefor the sum of 

 one thousand dollars. 



" After the said prizes shall have been thus awarded, the residue of said fund shall be 

 retained, and a certain portion of the income of the ti'ust fund, not exceeding two hundred 

 dollars, shall be annually ap^jropriated by a vote of the Council of the Society, to the for- 

 mation of a new prize fund of one thousand dollars, and when, and as often as said prize 

 fund amounts to said sum, the Council of said Society may again award a prize therefrom 

 in the manner above stated ; provided, however, that the said prize shall not be awarded 

 oftener than once in five years ; and also, as said prize is to be awarded for merit solely, 

 if no sufficiently meritorious investigation or discovery is brought to the notice of the 

 Council, they may withhold said prize at their discretion, until an investigation or discov- 

 ery of sufficient merit shall be published and made known. 



" After the above appropriations have been set aside from the annual increase of said 

 trust fund, given by the said William J. Walker, the residue of said income is to be applied 

 as follows : 



" First, to pay for procuring the necessary means for the preservation and exhibition of 

 the specimens belonging to the cabinet of said Society, such as the purchase of alcohol 

 and other antiseptics, jars, bottles, barrels, and the materials for the proper mounting, 

 labelling and displaying of the specimens, but not to expenses in the nature of salaries or 

 wages, or for labor, or instruction, or for cases or other furniture, nor for the purchase of 

 specimens, but may be economically applied to the necessary repairs of the building in 

 which the collections of the Society are preserved, and for gaslights and fuel. 



" Second, should the v.hole income of the fund not be required for the above named pur- 

 poses, the balance thereof may be reserved and used for such purposes in future years, or 

 added to the principal of the fund at the discretion of the Society." 



In November, the Curator of Entomology reported the collection of insects of the Society 

 in a dangerous condition, requiring prompt and close attention whicli he could not give ; 

 another evidence that without parties paid to constantly look after the collections, and ad- • 

 equate means to provide all possible protection for the specimens, it was worse than useless 

 to make them. 



In this case a paper was circulated for subscriptions among the officers of the Society 

 that enough money might be realized to hire an assistant. 



