BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. 153 



been satisfixctory. Two numbers of the Memoirs and two parts of the Proceedmgs had 

 been issued. 



The additions to the Library during the year had been 277 volumes, 852 parts of vol- 

 umes, 189 pamphlets and 20 maps and charts. 



In the Museum the necessary alterations in the cases had progressed as fast as regard to 

 financial considerations warranted. New and admirable ones for the reception of the valu- 

 able Herbarium presented l^y John Amory Lowell, Esq., had been made and wei'e in use. 



The change in the location of the collections of the various departments so as to bring 

 them in the designed relation to each other had proceeded steadily, and at this time the 

 work was so far accomplished as to enable visitors to the galleries, by entering the first 

 and passing round to the right, to study the zoological collection in order, beginning with 

 the sponges and passing to the higher groups. 



A beginning had been made on a comprehensive system of labelling, a great step 

 towards publishing a visitors' catalogue, so important as a means of instruction. 



Much work had been done on the collections during the year by Messrs. Eraerton and 

 Sprague, the former having labelled over 2,000 bottles of Crustacea and many of New 

 England worms and radiates, and the latter being engaged nearly all the year on insects. 

 Dr. Carpenter had likewise done much in studying our MoUusca and in labelling them. 

 They were sent to him at Montreal for identification. 



Valuable donations had been received from many parties, among them birds from the 

 Smithsonian Institution, insects from Mr. Sanborn and Mr. Ernest Papendiek, a fine fossil 

 tree from the Joggins Mine, Nova Scotia, presented by the Institute of Technology and a 

 beautiful Japanese crystal globe by Mr. Thomas Gaffield. 



The collection of Minerals had been much enriched by a large and valuable addition 

 made to it by purchase from Dr. Beadle of Philadelphia. The expense was but trifling to 

 the Society, as two members paid a large sum towards the purchase, and considerable 

 money was received from the sale of duplicates. 



The number of visitors to the Museum seemed steadily to increase, schools often coming 

 with their teachers. It was open to the public daily during the Peace Jubilee, so called, 

 when the City provided special police for its protection. 



The Treasurer's account for the year exhibited an excess of receipts over expenditiu-es 

 of $1,342.98. The Society suffered a loss of $6,280 from the great fire of November, 

 1872, it having held stocks in insurance companies that became worthless. It was obliged 

 to pay also assessments to the amount of $2,346, levied by the companies. 



The changes made in the officers at the election were as follows : John Cummings was 

 chosen on the Committee of the department of Geology, from which William T. Brigham 

 and Thomas T. Bouve resigned. J. Henry Blake was chosen on the Committee of Mol- 

 lusks in place of John Cummings, transferred to Committee on Geology. Richard Bliss, 

 Jr., was chosen on the Committee for Fishes and Reptiles in place of Dr. D. Humphreys 

 Storer resigned. J. H. Emerton was chosen on the Committee for Mammals in place of 

 Thomas Waterman, Jr., M. D., resigned. Samuel H. Scudder was chosen on the Committee 

 for Insects in place of F. G. Sanborn. 



In June of this year the gallery was added, with the cases, to the rear library apartment. 

 The want of more room for books had been long felt but was now indispensable. A case 

 was also built for the reception of the moose which had been procured for the Society. 



