1883.] NATURAL SCIENCES OE PHILADELrHIA. 317 



necessary, ho-wever, to renew the leave of absence from time to 

 time until bis death on the 7th of September, Earnest testimony 

 to his worth as a man and to the value of his services to the 

 Academy has been already borne by his associates, and the general 

 feeling of the society has been well expressed in the able bio- 

 graphical notice by his friend and fellow-member, Isaac C. Martin- 

 dale, published in the Proceedings of November 13. 



At the meeting of the Academy held October 2, Prof. Angelo 

 Heilprin was elected Curator, to fill the vacancy caused by the 

 death of Mr. Parker ; and at the meeting of the Council held on the 

 5tli of October he was appointed Curator-in-charge, or Actuary 

 to the Curators. 



An inquiry from the New Century Club, as to the desirability 

 of endowing a professorship in the Academj', to be held exclu- 

 sively by women, having been referred for considei'ation to the 

 Council, it was resolved that, inasmuch as the professorships are 

 open to women, as well as men, it is inexpedient to restrict any 

 professorship to either sex. This action of the Council was 

 endorsed bj' the Academy and transmitted to'the New Century 

 Club, with the suggestion that if a proposition were made to endow 

 a scholarship for women instead of a professorship, the subject 

 might receive further consideration. 



A committee, consisting of Messrs. Valentine, Corlies, Ruschen- 

 berger, Frazer and Whelen, was appointed January 2, to petition 

 the Legislature of Pennsylvania to aid the Academy in the exten- 

 sion and furnishing of its building. The efforts of this committee 

 have been so far unproductive of result, although bj* action of 

 the Legislature the collections of the Second Geological Survey 

 of Penns3'lvania are now stored in boxes in the cellar of the 

 Academy. Their value to the student would be, of course, greatly 

 enhanced if they were properly displayed. The Academy- is, 

 liowever, entirely unable at present to furnish the space necessary 

 fo^r such exhibition, and the request to the Legislature for aid in 

 the construction of an addition to the Academ3^, in which these 

 collections would be properly placed, cannot be deemed unreason- 

 able. 



The most important additions to the Academy's possessions 

 made during the j'ear have been the Wm. S. Yaux collections of 

 minerals and antiquities. After mature consideration by the 

 Council and the Academy, the conditions proposed by the executor 



