1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 759 



In a note to Morton's biographical notice of William Maclure, 

 prepared in 1841, it is stated that the library then consisted of 

 7,000 volumes. 



At this time certain designated books were permitted to be bor- 

 rowed, but the Committee expresses grave doubt as to the advis- 

 ability of continuing the practice, as serious loss of works which 

 could not be replaced had been detected during the preparation of 

 the catalogue of 1836. It was strongly recommended, in harmony 

 with the desire of Mr. Maclure, that the library should be exclu- 

 sively for use within the building. It was considered, however, 

 that this was scarcely practicable until the services of a salaried 

 Librarian could be secured. 



In May, 1845, Dr. Thomas B. Wilson presented Owen's His- 

 tory of British Fossil Mammalia and Birds, and from that date 

 until bis death, March 15, 1865, more than 10,000 volumes in 

 all branches of natural history were received from this liberal 

 patron of the Academy. These formed the rarest and most expen- 

 sive portions of the library — complete sets of early transactions 

 and superbly illustrated monographs. Week after week the Wil- 

 son package was examined with delight, as it was sure to contain 

 not only contributions indispensable to the workers, but also gifts 

 of the highest artistic value, such as Gould's Monographs, Wolf .s 

 Zoological Sketches, Chenu's Illustrations Conchy liologiqties, Reich- 

 enbach's Xenia Orchidacea, Lindley and Moore's Ferns of Great 

 Britain, etc. Dr. Wilson's earlier contributions were placed with 

 the society on deposit, but were given outright in 1850 on condi- 

 tion that they should not be removed from the building, a rule 

 which was then extended to the entire library. 



Dr. Thomas B. Wilson was not the only member of his family 

 who took an active interest in the Academy. Between the years 

 1850 and 1857 his brother, Mr. Edward Wilson, residing in 

 England, presented to the society 4,184 rare volumes and pam- 

 phlets of the last century, and after Dr. Wilson's death a valuable 

 selection from his library was received from another brother, Mr. 

 Rathmell Wilson. Nor did the benefit derived by the Academy 

 from the liberality of Dr. Wilson cease at his death. He be- 

 queathed to the society §10,000, directing that S300 of the annual 

 income should be contributed toward the payment of the salary of 

 the Librarian, the balance to be expended for the continuation of his 



