18 A NOTICE OF THE 



face whereon man dwells, should be made to yield from their stony 

 embrace, those petrified relics of a past, which has no history 

 except what they record. The Museum of the Academy should 

 be, indeed, an office filled with Nature's patents, in which all may 

 behold the wonders it has pleased an all-wise Creator to devise 

 for the benefit and instruction of man. 



The collections of the Academy may be considered under 

 eighteen different heads. 



1. MAMMALOGY. 



The difficulty and expense of obtaining large quadrupeds, and 

 the space required for their proper display, have opposed the in- 

 crease of this department of the Museum. Indeed, it scarcely 

 had a beginning until within a few years. Among those who 

 early contributed to it, were Mr. John Speakman, Mr. Jacob 

 Gilliams, Dr. Harlan, Mr. Reuben Haines, Dr. M. Burrough, 

 Dr. C. Hering, Dr. Wm. Blanding, Dr. Ruschenberger, and 

 some others. But, within five years past, this collection has been 

 much augmented by donations from Dr. T. B. Wilson, Dr. J. K. 

 Townsend, W. E. Strickland, Esq., Rev. Dr. Bachman, Capt. 

 Wm. McMichael, Dr. G. Watson, Mr. Wm. Wood, Mr. L. J. 

 Germain, the Smithsonian Institute, Dr. E. K. Kane, of the 

 navy, and others. 



The mammals are placed in cases on the floor of the main hall, 

 beneath the north flying gallery. The collection, though not ex- 

 tensive, contains representatives of most of the American genera ; 

 and many of the specimens possess very considerable interest. 

 Among those worthy of mention here, are the original specimen 

 of the Clilamyphorus truncatus, a small animal described by Dr. 

 Harlan; an albino deer (Cervus Virginianus), presented by Dr. 

 Wilson; the original specimen of Lupus gigas, or giant wolf, 

 described by Dr. J. K. Townsend ; and the sacred monkey of Siam, 

 or Hylolates agitts.* 



Dr. J. K. Townsend presented a collection of mammals, made 

 during his visit to Oregon, and the Rocky Mountains. We are 

 indebted to Dr. Wilson, for a hundred specimens, originally de- 



* A specimen of Hippopotamus Liberiensis, which is at this time unique, 

 was received in January, 1852, since thia notice was prepared. 



