231 



my less interest has been felt than in preceding years. They 

 lave been as desirous as ever of enriching our Collection, of ad- 

 vancing their favorite departments ; but they have been literally 

 compelled, not merely to refuse to receive specimens, which 

 have been offered to them, but also to refrain from arranging 

 those already belonging to the Society, for want of space. 



" For several years the insufficiency of our accommodations 

 has been keenly felt by the members of this Society. During 

 the last year, our late much-lamented President determined to 

 make an effort to procure a suitable building to contain our Col- 

 lections. He commenced his task, and had obtained subscrip- 

 tions to the amount of several thousand dollars, when his feeble 

 health compelled him to leave for Europe. Since his departure, 

 the effort has been continued by others, and is now in progress, 

 with a fair prospect of success." 



Dr. Storer paid a fervent tribute of respect to the memo- 

 ry of the late President, and warmly welcomed his succes- 

 sor to the seat he was now occupying, and pledged the 

 hearty cooperation of his brother members and himself to 

 advance the prosperity and usefulness of the Society. 



The President, Dr. Warren, replied, acknowledging the 

 kind welcome given him, and expressing his gratification at 

 the honor conferred upon him by his election to that office. 



He remarked, that early in life he had felt deeply interested 

 in Natural History, and would gladly have devoted a large share 

 of his time and powers to its studies, but the particular depart- 

 ments of Anatomy and Surgery, which, at that time, were in a 

 very imperfect state in this country, demanded all his faculties, 

 and it was not till of late years that he had felt that he had any 

 time to bestow on the special branches of Natural Science. He 

 had, however, from the publications of this Society and from 

 intercourse with its members, derived frequent aid in his own 

 studies, and been led to form a high estimate of the usefulness of 

 the Society and of the value of its labors. He promised to give 

 his hearty cooperation with his brothers of the Society in promot- 

 ing their common objects. 



