330 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1884. 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS. 



The Curators present the following statement of the Curator- 

 in-charge, Professor Angelo Heilprin, as their report for the 

 year ending November 30 : 



Work in the various departments of the Museum, has during 

 the past year, as in previous years, been largely of a volunteer 

 nature, but, for this reason, none the less systematic, nor less 

 valuable to the Academy. 



The Conchological, Entomological and Botanical departments, 

 under direct control of the Conchological, Entomological and 

 Botanical Sections of the Academy, have benefited almost 

 exclusively from services of this kind, and the same is true of 

 the Mineralogical department covered bj' the Wm. S. Yaux 

 trust. The Academy feels itself under deep obligation to the 

 special conservators who have so generously contributed their 

 time and labor to the interests of the institution. 



In departments other than those here indicated work has not 

 been neglected, but, unfortunately, because of the limited means at 

 the disposal of the Curators, and for general want of space, which 

 together constitute an almost insuperable obstacle to the proper 

 care and exposition of the vast, and still rapidly increasing, 

 collections of the institution, not so much has been accomplished 

 as might have been desired. 



The entire series of alcoholics has been carefully overhauled, 

 and the necessary disposition of alcohol toward the preservation 

 of these perishable objects made. The collection may be said to 

 be in a fairly good condition. The recent mammalia have all 

 been redetermined and relabeled, and arranged according to the 

 most approved S3'stems of classification. In this . department, 

 the Academy is seriously deficient, and it is to be hoped that at 

 no very distant day the numerous gaps that everywhere occur 

 may be filled in. A complete catalogue has been prepared, 

 showing the Academy to possess just 400 species and varieties, 

 represented in all by 904 specimens. 



In the department of Ornithology comparatively little has 

 been accomplished ; the accessions have been very limited, as, 

 indeed, they have been for a number of years past. Although the 

 collection of birds still ranks as one of the most complete, and 

 in some respects, the most complete of any in the world, following 



