337 



birds has been received from Dr. F. W. Cragin, of Surinam. 

 Valuable donations have also been received from Messrs. Samuel 

 Jacques and Charles J. Sprague. 



The Curator of Geology reported that the department under 

 his care had received additions during the past year, by dona- 

 tions from the President, Messrs. Moses B. Perley and Isaac 

 Lea, and by purchase. The specimens in this department are 

 nearly all labelled, and so arranged as to exhibit them to the 

 best advantage. 



The Curator of Comparative Anatomy reported that the depart- 

 ment under his care had been enriched by valuable donations 

 from Mr. Henry Cross, President Hitchcock, Dr. William Read, 

 and by purchase, as reported at successive meetings during the 

 year. 



The Curator of Conchology being absent from the city, no re- 

 port was received from him ; but Dr. A. A. Gould stated that he 

 thought the Annual Meeting ought not to be allowed to pass with- 

 out an acknowledgment of the donation during the past year of 

 some fifteen hundred shells from Henry T. Parker, Esq., of 

 Boston. 



The Curator of Oology reported that at the time when he com- 

 menced the arrangement of the collection under his charge, it 

 contained the eggs of fifty-six species ; of which, thirty were 

 eggs of Massachusetts birds, thirteen of other North American 

 birds, nine South American, three European, and one Australian. 

 Since the collection had been under his care, he had himself pre- 

 sented the eggs of one hundred and twenty-four species ; thirty- 

 one being of Massachusetts species, five of species from other 

 portions of North America, and sixty-eight from Europe. 



It is quite desirable that this department should be aided by 

 contributions from other members of the Society, or by its friends, 

 who may have an opportunity to enrich it, either from their own 

 collections, or by exerting themselves to obtain new specimens. 

 By a little pains it might be materially increased, especially in 

 regard to the eggs of the birds of Massachusetts. The Curator 

 earnestly invites all who may have any contributions to offer, or 

 who may possess any facilities for obtaining them, to aid him in 



PROCEEDINGS B. S. N. H. 22 FEBRUARY, i854. 



