1901.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 761 



on fine arts and architecture — were sold for $1,825.14 By an ar- 

 rangement with Mr. George W. Tryon, Jr., one-half this sum was 

 devoted to the Conchological Section, and the other was appro- 

 priated for binding. 



The Warner Library, consisting of 1,045 volumes and 1,200 

 pamphlets, mostly on mathematics, came into the possession of the 

 society in 1892, on the coming of age of Mr. Warner's daughter 

 and heiress. 



The library of James Aitken Meigs, consisting of 5,089 

 volumes, 1,916 of which were on other than scientific subjects, was 

 bequeathed to the Academy by his father, John G. Meigs, who 

 also left to the society $20,000, one-half for the exclusive use of 

 the library. Before his death Mr. Meigs intimated his desire 

 that even the volumes not pertinent to the Academy should be 

 kept together as the James Aitken Meigs Library, and this desire 

 has been so far complied with. 



The first catalogue of the library was published, it will be 

 remembered, at irregular intervals in the first four volumes of the 

 Journal from 1817 to 1824. , ]Nb classification is indicated in this 

 list. The carefully compiled catalogue of 1836 is divided into broad 

 subject sections. Dr. Fisher reports the beginning of a new cata- 

 logue in 1859, but the intention, it would appear, was not carried 

 out. The catalogues then in use were manuscript hand-lists, 

 arranged alphabetically for each separate department. They were 

 not kept strictly up to date. They were added to and copied by a 

 special clerical assistant in 1863 and 1864, and were again tran- 

 scribed in 1878. They remained in use until 1885, when they 

 were finally replaced by a card catalogue which, in a very crude 

 form, had been begun in 1874 and completed in 1880. The num- 

 bering of the library was begun with the Conchological Department 

 in 1869, and gradually extended, as a matter of convenience, to 

 the other sections of the library in connection with the prepara- 

 tion of the card catalogue. Shelf lists of the several departments, 

 indispensable for the proper placing of the books and in accounting 

 for missing volumes, were also prepared. 



From 1883 to 1894 much-needed clerical assistance was secured 

 in a more or less intermittent way. The expenses were defrayed 

 by subscriptions secured by Mrs. Annis Lea Wister and Dr. 

 Henry M, Fisher. The old card catalogue was transcribed on 



