Natural Sciences of Philadelphia during the Year 1824'. Si? 



embrace in his report. In using his discretion upon this sub- 

 ject, he has chosen rather to include a number of points ap- 

 parently of little interest, than to run the risk of condensing 

 it too much by omitting subjects which ought to have been 

 considered. 



Whatever may have been the topics which a review of your 

 minutes has suggested to his attention, all have presented 

 themselves under an aspect which offers us great matter for 

 congratulation. Whether we estimate the progress of this 

 institution by the number of scientific communications sub- 

 mitted to it — by the number or merit of the memoirs deemed 

 worthy of insertion in your journal — by the interest taken in 

 your proceedings by the members themselves, as evinced in 

 their more regular attendance at the meetings, and in the in- 

 creased number of lectures delivered this yeai- — by the acces- 

 sion to our list of associates — or, finally, by the improved state 

 of our finances; we shall, in each of these bearings, discover 

 great cause for rejoicing, and an assurance that our institu- 

 tion is daily increasing in importance, in respectability, and, 

 what is still more desirable, in usefulness. 



A few observations upon each of these points will constitute 

 the chief part of this report. 



The number of communications read before the Academy 

 during the present year was thirty-seven; some of which, 

 however, were so long as to require a division into many parts ; 

 in such a manner that scarcely has a meeting of the Academy 

 taken place, during the present year, without the attention of 

 its members being invited to the gratifying task of listening to 

 the results of the observations or discoveries of one or more of 

 their associates. 



These communications may be classed as follows : 



§ 1. Zoology. 



Mammalia. — In this department the Academy received two 

 communications: the first from Dr. Poeppig, entitled " Nova 

 generis Capromys Species ;" the second from Dr. Harlan, " On 

 a species of Lamantin, resembling the Manatus senegalcnsis of 

 Cuvier, inhabiting the coast of East Florida." 



In his description Dr. Pceppig makes known to the scientific 

 world a second species of that interesting genus of the Rodc?ifia, 

 which was first described by one of our naturalists under the 

 name of Isodon. This name having been previously applied 

 to another geims in Europe, Mr. Desmarest has substituted 

 for it \\\a.i oi Caproviys, and has changed the specific appellation 

 of 2>ilo7ides, which in justice to the first discoverer ought to have 



X X 2 been 



