1906.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 585 



JNGS and Journal of the Academy bound and, in common with the 

 other volumes, appropriately labelled so as to indicate the source and 

 object of the gift. A letter of acknowledgment recently received 

 conveys the assurance that the books will be an important assistance 

 to the California Academy, the members of which, in common with all 

 the people of San Francisco, displayed such superb courage and for- 

 titude under an almost overwhelming affliction. The boxes were sent 

 to California through the Smithsonian Institution. 



Many duplicates received from corresponding societies had for years 

 been accumulating in the Library of the Academy. After a selection 

 had been sent to the California Academy, the Library Committee and 

 the Council directed the return of the remainder to the publishing 

 societies, in the hope that a similar favor might be secured in the case 

 of duplicates of the Academy's publications. 



Parcels therefore have been sent through the International Bureau 

 of Exchange to 215 societies, each accompanied by the following 

 notice: "The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia returns 

 duplicates of publications received from corresponding societies, 

 and requests that duplicate numbers of its Journal and Proceed- 

 ings be returned, either by post or through the International 

 Bureau of Exchange." It is hoped that this action may result in an 

 addition to the stock of the earlier issues of the Academj^'s publications, 

 several of which are nearly out of print. 



Seventy-eight volumes and 256 pamphlets, pubUcations of the 

 Department of Agriculture, U. S. Geological Survey, Bureau of Educa- 

 tion, etc., have been returned to the Government Printing Office, in 

 compliance with the law. The greater number of these were dupli- 

 cates, but some were works not pertinent to the Academy's Library. 

 About thirty-seven volumes belonging to the latter class were given 

 to the Free Library of Philadelphia. 



Cards have been prepared to be placed in the spaces left by books 

 kept in the study rooms for use, thus in a measure remedying the incon- 

 venience arising from such retention. 



The necessity for additional room in some of the departments of 

 the Library becomes annually more pressing. In view of the possi- 

 bility of an increase of the Academy's building in the near future 

 certain of the additions are placed temporarily, not always in con- 

 formity with the system of classification, in the hope that the required 

 increase in the shelving capacity of the Library may be secured. 



Ten cases are still to be shelf-listed in the department of Journals 

 and Periodicals, although the work has continued during the year[^as 

 steadily as the time at the disposal of the Assistant would permit. 



