ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES. 33 



In a closet, opening on the passage to the stairs, at the south- 

 east extremity of the principal hall, are four human mummies, 

 1 Egyptian and 3 Peruvian ; 1 mummied calf, 2 hawks, 6 ibis, 

 and 32 serpents, all Egyptian. 



The Egyptian mummy, which is inclosed in its original sar- 

 cophagus, is from the catacombs of Thebes. It was deposited 

 by John L. Hodge, Esq., in June, 1846. The other mummied 

 objects, from Egypt, were deposited by George R. Gliddon, Esq., 

 in June, 1848. 



The Peruvian mummies were deposited by Dr. Morton. They 

 were procured from an ancient cemetery near Arica, and pre- 

 sented by Mr. Wm. A. Foster, who states that, " In many of the 

 tombs, three or four bodies were found clustered together, always 

 in the sitting posture, and wrapped in three or four thicknesses 

 of cloth, with a mat thrown over all." 



/ 

 13. COMPARATIVE ANATOMY. 



The most prominent object of the department of comparative 

 anatomy, in 1837, was a "perfect skeleton of the Indian rhino- 

 ceros (R. indicus), brought from the interior of Hindostan, by 

 Dr. Burrough, and presented to the Academy," by a club of 

 members. At that date, the aggregate number of crania of 

 vertebrate animals, including about 200 human skulls, in Dr. 

 Morton's collection, was not many above 500.* 



Since that date large additions have been made to this depart- 

 ment of the Museum. Besides the 918 human crania above 

 mentioned, the collection deposited by Dr. Morton now contains 

 278 crania of mammals, 271 crania of birds, and 88 crania of 

 reptiles and fishes, or an aggregate of 1,555 skulls of vertebrate 

 animals. 



The Academy's collection has received contributions from Dr. 

 Blanding, Dr. Godon, Dr. Goheen, Prof. Baird, Dr. Watson, 

 Captain S. Drinker, Mrs. Mary A. Hamilton, Dr. Leidy, Mr. 

 S. W. Woodhouse, Dr. Griffith, Dr. Meigs, Dr. Hallowell, Mr. 

 Ashmead, Dr. T. B. Wilson, Dr. P. B. Goddard, and others. 



In the year 1849, Dr. Goddard presented 106 crania of mam- 



* Morton, Notice of the Academy of Natural Sciences. 4th edition, p. 

 17, 1837. 

 3 



