474 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1890. 



The Academy is indebted to Mr. S. Kayraond Roberts for a fine 

 crayon portrait, properly framed, of the late Geo. W. Tryon, Jr. 

 whose long continued services to the society richly merit such a mem- 

 orial. 



Respectfully submitted, 



Edw. J. Nolan, 



Librarian. 



REPORT OF THE CURATORS. 



The Curators present the following statement of the Curator-in- 

 Charge as their report for the year 1890 : — 



The Curator-in-Charge respectfully reports that the collections of 

 the Academy, in so far as their state of preservation is concerned^ 

 are in a satisfactory condition, probably more so than at any pre- 

 vious time in the past decade. But if satisfactory in this important 

 respect, they suffer largely and increasingly through lack of room 

 for their proper display. The additions to the Museum, since the 

 occupancy by the' Academy of its present building, have been so 

 numerous and so varied that they have far outstripped the possibili- 

 ties of location, and to-day it is no longer permitted to carry out 

 that system of orderly classification and arrangement which is a 

 necessity with every large museum of natural history. The steady 

 growth of the collections is an encouraging sign of the increased 

 attention that is given to the study of the natural sciences, and it 

 cannot but be a satisfaction to all friends of the Academy, and a 

 matter of just pride to the citizens of Philadelphia, that the insti- 

 tution which was the first one founded in this country for the exclusive 

 purpose of furthering a knowledge of nature, has been able, after 

 an existence of three-quarters of a century, to still claim the first 

 place in the appreciation of students. That it will continue to hold 

 its own, is amply indicated by the numerous benefits which its 

 patrons and friends generously bestow upon it; but whether the 

 Academy will be able to adequately respond to these benefits, will 

 depend largely upon the helping hand which, it is hoped, an ap- 

 preciative public will extend to it. 



The Academy is to-day laboring to increase the capacity of its 

 domicile. The grant of $50,000 made by the Legislature of the 

 State during the session of 1889, has permitted it to definitely 

 realize a scheme of enlargement, which, when fully carried into ex- 



