PROMOTION OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 55 



The number of contributions to the museum mentioned in the 

 minutes was 60, but it is certain that there were others which failed 

 to be recorded. The accessions were apparently all donations and 

 ranged in extent from a single specimen to a " box " or " collection," 

 but the entries seldom gave the localities where the material was ob- 

 tained or more than a brief reference to its character. No catalogue 

 has been found, nor has any information been obtained to show the 

 size and value of the collection. It is doubtful if visitors generally 

 had access to it unless in the company of members, as an attendant 

 was only employed to be present at meetings. There is, moreover, no 

 record of scientific researches of any kind in connection with the 

 museum, unless the naming of minerals may be so classed. 



It is of interest to note that in 1821 serious consideration was given 

 by the Institute to the purchase of the celebrated Charles Willson 

 Peale Museum in Philadelphia, which was then offered for sale to 

 the United States for $100,000. Three methods for raising that 

 amount were proposed in a resolution, namely, an appropriation by 

 Congress, a lottery to be held by the Institute under authority of 

 Congress, and the soliciting of contributions from the public at large 

 at the rate of one dollar a person, but it is needless to say that nothing 

 came of the matter. 



Minerals. — Included with the minerals were ores and rocks, and 

 some building stones. Among the acquisitions from abroad were a 

 collection of Italian minerals from Dr. Hall, of Leghorn, various 

 specimens of lavas and other minerals from Mount Aetna, and silver 

 ore from Peru. One of the most important accessions was a collection 

 of minerals that had belonged to Mr. Rudolph Schaer, principal of 

 a school and a member of the Institute, which was purchased and 

 presented by Dr. Cutbush. 



On June 3, 1823, a committee reported that it had arranged the 

 minerals according to their classes, but for want of convenience in 

 the room had been unable to make a more minute division. During 

 October, 1825, cases were built at a cost of $90, and the arrangement 

 of the specimens in the room at the Capitol of which the Institute 

 had recently taken possession was directed by a committee. In the 

 spring of 1826 the Schaer collection was installed. During 1835 and 

 1836 the minerals were the subject of much more extended and pre- 

 cise attention than at any previous period, Dr. F. Hall having been 

 employed to label and arrange the specimens, and being thanked by 

 the society for the highly satisfactory manner in which this had been 

 clone. Duplicate specimens to the number of 339, segregated in the 

 course of this work, were sold for $30.33. William Cranch, jr., 

 assisted Dr. Hall and prepared a list of the collection. 



Herbarium. — The formation of a collection of dried plants is 

 nowhere specifically mentioned in its early records as one of the 



