Annual Report.] 162 [May 1, 



The bequest of Miss Pratt, which inchided a rare collec- 

 tion of shells, some choice conehological works, and a fund 

 to provide for tlieir care and increase, will be noticed at 

 length in this report. 



Nothing could have been more timely than the bequest of 

 Mr, Pope. The necessity of fitting up the lecture room, new 

 exhibition rooms, and another apartment for books, had be- 

 come so apparent, that we feared our means of usefulness 

 would be crippled, as in former years, by the almost total ab- 

 sorption of our annual income for pur{)oses of construction. 

 The Council have now less hesitation in expending a portion 

 of the principal of the Walker bequest, given, among other 

 j^urposes, for building, since the donation of Mr. Po])e w411 

 enable them to supply the lack of annual income. The do- 

 nation amounted to 120,000. 



The lower half of the geological room has been fitted up, 

 workmen are em|)loyed on the conehological room, and con- 

 tracts are either made, or under consideration, for furnishing 

 the lecture room, the lower half of the rear lilirary, and a 

 room to be devoted to Ichthyology and Herpetology. A 

 plan for courses of lectui'es is before a special Committee, 

 and as our building will probably require additions in teri 

 years, a sinking fund has been established for that juu'pose, 

 with the money received from the Bulfinch Street Estate. 



Twenty general meetings of the Society, one special meet- 

 ing, and eight meetings of the Section of Microscopy, have 

 been held during the year. A new section for the encour- 

 agement of the- study of Insects was formed last November 

 through the agency of the Harris Entomological Club ; this 

 Club had already been in existence for two years, and was 

 composed exclusively of members of the Society; six 

 monthly meetings of the new Section have been held, and 

 the i-esults have more than met the anticipations of those 

 specially interested in its establishment. 



There has been an average attendance of thirty-seven 

 members at the general meetings of the Society; of twelve 

 at the meetings of the Section of Microscopy, and of four- 



