Charter, Order of Court, Constitution 
and By-Laws. 
CHARTER. 
AN ACT TO INCORPORATE THE 
fee Bet OOP Nez RAD HTS TORY 
IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK. 
Passed April 20th, 1818. 
WHEREAS, The members of the Lyceum of Natural History 
have petitioned for an act of incorporation, and the Legislature, im- 
pressed with the importance of the study of Natural History, as 
connected with the wants, the comforts, and the happiness of man- 
kind, and conceiving it their duty to encourage all laudable 
attempts to promote the progress of science in this State—therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of New York, repre- 
sented in Senate and Assembly, That Samuel L. Mitchill. Casper 
W. Eddy, Frederick C. Schaeffer, Nathaniel Paulding, William 
Cooper, Benjamin P. Kissam, John Torrey, William Cumberland, 
D’Jurco V. Knevels, James Clements, and James Pierce, and such 
other persons as now are, and may from time to time become mem- 
bers, shall be, and hereby are, constituted a body corporate and 
politic, by the name of Lyckum or NATURAL HISTORY IN THE 
City oF NEw YoRK, and that by that name they shall have per- 
petual succession, and shall be persons capable of suing and being 
sued, pleading and being impleaded, answering and being answered 
unto, defending and being defended, in all courts and places what- 
soever; and may have a common seal, with power to alter the same 
