226 DAVENPORT ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 



stand it to rigidly exclude special deposits for temporary use or con- 

 venience for special studies, it does mean that no private collection, 

 over which it has no control, can be accumulated in its limited space 

 to the virtual exclusion of its own undisplayed material. This is so 

 manifestly just that I do not see how any exceptions can be made to it. 



When, several years ago, I was specially invited to deposit my botan- 

 ical collections in a room of the Academy ostensibly designed for that 

 purpose, in accepting, at the time, the courtesy offered, I clearly saw 

 that if the collection, as I hoped and expected, would grow under my 

 hand, its proper care and arrangement would require more room and 

 attention than could be reasonably devoted to it in an institution in- 

 cluding other and more popular branches of science. I therefore, at 

 the proper time, quietly withdrew my collection from its temporary 

 custody. 



Since then, as is plainly to be seen, the Academy collections have 

 largely outgrown the available room for their accessible arrangement 

 and display. The library shelves are loaded down with unbound vol- 

 umes that are virtually sealed books, and the damp, dimly-lighted base- 

 ment is in request for storage or limited display of desirable collections. 

 Of course, the first natural suggestion under such circumstances would 

 be, why not appeal to the public, who are directly interested, for an 

 addition to this building, properly to accommodate its constantly en 7 

 larging material for study or display. Let those who have heretofore 

 "in the heat and burden of the day" carried this load of popular solici- 

 tation answer this suggestion. It would probably come in the form of 

 " Try it yourself ." 



Till our Davenport Peabody or Lick makes his appearance, we must 

 be content to do the best we can with limited means, and the first 

 exercise of economy will be to cut off outside expenses; hence, prop- 

 erly arises the policy of declining the custody of private collections. 



That such a policy should immediately result in such valuable dona- 

 tions to our collections, as that now under consideration, could hardly 

 be expected ; but that it will eventually lead to such results is reason- 

 able, from the fact that actual ownership implies special care and 

 protection, and hence affords the best guarantee of an appreciative use 

 of such donations. 



But, to come back to the point that first started these suggestions : 

 We have now placed in our hands the ownership, under reasonable con- 

 ditions, of a most instructive and valuable collection of entomological 

 material — historically interesting in its direct association with one who 

 derived his earliest inspiration toward such pursuits in our associated 

 membership; scientifically valuable in its profoundly thorough investi- 

 gation and copious illustration — above all, memorable as a noble ex- 

 ample to all of unselfish devotion to pure scientific pursuits. As such, 

 let us gracefully accept it. 



The report was adopted unanimously. Accompanying, were the 

 written conditions under which the Academy becomes owner of the 

 collection and books, signed by Mr. and Mrs. Putnam, as accepted. 



