22 The Academy of Natural Sciences 



of the Building Fund that, on the retirement of Dr. Hays in 1869, 

 he was almost as a matter of course elected President. His with- 

 drawal on age from active service in the United States Navy had 

 provided him with leisure for congenial employment, and his con- 

 nection with the Academy, the American Philosophical Society 

 and the College of Physicians, was productive of the most bene- 

 ficial results. ' 



After a quiescence of seven years, the Biological Department 

 had been revived, in 1868, by union with the Microsc'opical 

 Society, under the title Biological and Microscopical Section. Dr. 

 E. S. Kenderdine was President of the Microscopical Society and 

 Dr. Leidy of the Biological Department. When the union was 

 effected Dr. William Pepper was elected Director. He character- 

 istically imparted vitality to the proceedings of the first year, in 

 which J. Gibbons Hunt, Dr. Leidy, Dr. J. H. McQuillen, Dr. 

 Horatio C. Wood, Jr., Dr. S. Weir Mitchell and W. H. Walmsley 

 took an active part. Fragmentary proceedings were published dur- 

 ing the three succeeding years as supplements to the Academy's 

 volume, and were then suspended. The meetings of the Section, 

 however, have been continued, and occasional receptions have been 

 held. The semi-centennial of the formation of the Section was 

 celebrated last year by an enjoyable banquet, at which speeches were 

 made reminiscent of old times and in affectionate commemoration 

 of those who had labored and gone before. 



Through the efforts of Mr. Tryon, a Conchological Section 

 had been established in 1866. Its administration resulted in the 

 completion of the arrangement of the conchological collection 

 which, because of the zeal of Tryon and his successor, Dr. Pils- 

 bry, is probably the equal of any to be found elsewhere. 



The removal to Nineteenth and Race Streets was begun on 

 the 2d of September, 1875, Messrs. George W. Tryon, Jr., and 

 Charles F. Parker having been engaged on salary to transfer the 

 collections to the new building. The transfer of the library was 

 made early in 1876, the librarian making special acknowledgment 

 for assistance to James A. Ogden and John A. Eyder, both at the 

 time Jessup Fund students. 



The building had been completed at a cost of $193,682.29. 

 The sum of $50,000 had been subscribed from the amount realized 

 by the sale of the old building, this sacrifice being made to secure 

 the arrangement of the library and museum in time for the visitors 



