NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 



22c 



LIBRARIAN'S REPORT FOR 1857. 

 During the present year, ending December 31st, 1857, 382 volumes and 1053 

 periodicals and pamphlets have been added to tlie Library of the Academy. 

 The various subjects upon which these treat, and the number belonging to each 

 .-jubject, are shown in the following table : 



Subjects. A^o. 



iJcueral Natural History and Mamma- 

 logy, 34 



iJniithologj, 63 



Kntomology, 51 



Conchology, 211 



Botany, 44 



Geology, Palceontology and Geography, 146 



Anatomy, Physiology, &c., 72 



Mineralogy, 11 



Herpetology and Ichthyology, 6 



Subjects. 



No. 



Ethnology, " 



Physics and Chemistry, 14 



Transactions, Journals, Proceedings, Re- 

 ports, Ac, of Societies, 72C 



Voyages and Travels, 18 



Medicine, r H 



Biography, 6 



Miscellaneous, 16 



Total,- 



•1435 



Of the above works, 73 have been contributed by authors, 71 by editors, 53 

 by members, correspondents and others, 208 by societies and corporations, 45 

 by Mr. Edward Wilson, and 985 by Dr. T. B. Wilson ; making a total of 1435 

 additions to the Library in 1857. 



Among the many valuable additions made during this year, the following 

 may be mentioned : Memoirs and Transactions of the Royal Academy of Sciences 

 of Berlin, from 1710 to 1850, 85 volumes, from Dr. Wilson; Donovan's Natural 

 History of British Insects, 16 volumes, from Mr. Ord ; sixth volume of the United 

 .States Naval Astronomical Expedition to the Southern Hemisphere, from Lieut. 

 Gilliss ; twelfth volume of the United States Exploring Expedition, from Dr. A. 

 A. Gould ; the terrestrial air-breathing Mollusks of the United States and ad- 

 jacent territories of North America, from the executors of Dr. Binney ; the 

 Zoologist, 50 numbers ; Morris' History of British Birds, 48 numbers ; the Natural- 

 ist, 48 numbers ; Adams' Genera of Recent MoUusca, 26 numbers ; Deshayes' 

 Description des Animaux sans Vertebres decouvertes dans le bassin de Paris ; H. 

 Von Meyer's Fauna der Vorwelt ; Crania Britannica ; Museum Botanicum Lug- 

 duno-Batavum, &c. &c., from Dr. Wilson, and also a number of rare and valuable 

 pamphlets upon Anatomy, Physiology and Zoology from Mr. E. Wilson. 



In 1836 the Library contained about 7000 volumes ; in 1850, it had increased, 

 as was ascertained by actual enumeration, to 12,057. During the fourteen j^ears, 

 from 1836 to 1850, therefore, the annual rate of increase of the Library was 

 about 430 volumes. In 1851, 2,2G2 additions were made to the Library ; in 1852, 

 2,886 ; in 1853, 1,011 ; in 1854, 729 ; in 1855, 857 ; in 1856, 1,449 ; and in 1857, 

 1,435 ; making a total increase during the past seven years of 10,629. From 

 this statement it will be seen that the average annual increase for this period 

 is a little more than 1500 volumes, a rate of increase 3^ times greater than that 

 for the preceding fourteen years. In his report, laid before the Academy in 

 1850, my friend and predecessor, Dr. Wm. S. Zantzinger, presented a classified 

 table of the whole number of volumes in the Library. Taking this estimate as a 

 basis, I have constructed the following table, in which is shown not only the 

 whole number of volumes in the Library, but also the number distributed to each 

 of the leading divisions. 



Natural Sciences, 5579 



Anatomy and Physiology, 633 



Voyages and Travels, 984 



History and Geography, 590 



Transactions, Journals, Proceedings, Reports, &c., of Societies, 3723 



Dictionaries of Arts and Sciences, 586 



Maps and Charts, 49 



Chemistry and Physics, 462 



Historical Documents of all descriptions, 1857 



Antiquities and Fine Arts, 430 



Miscellaneous, 1660 



1857.] 



Total, 16,553 Vols. 



