30 The Academy of Natural Sciences 



in 1891, a party of associates more directly representing the society, 

 consisting of Messrs. Sharp, Holt, Hughes, Burk, Keely and Mengel, 

 being under the leadership of Professor Heilprin. Considerable 

 material new to science and to the museum was obtained. Because, 

 perhaps, of incomplete instructions, serious misunderstandings arose 

 among the members of the party on their return which, however, did 

 not prevent the sending of an expedition under the command of 

 Professor Heilprin to the relief of Peary the following year. This 

 party consisted of Henry G. Bryant, second in command ; Dr. Jack- 

 son M. Mills, William E. Meehan, Samuel G. Entrekin, Frank 

 Stokes, Albert W. Vorse, Charles E. Kite and the leader. The 

 object of the expedition was accomplished successfully. Lieut. 

 Peary and those left with him in Greenland the year before, with 

 the exception of John Verhoeff who was lost, were landed in Phila- 

 delphia, September 23d. Extensive collections were brought back 

 and the leader testified in his report that in this party good fellow- 

 ship at all times prevailed. 



An Anthropological Section was formed in 1895 with Harrison 

 Allen as Director. The interest in the organization was at first 

 active, but after the deaths of Doctors Brinton and Allen, it was 

 not sustained and no meeting having been held or report presented 

 for the preceding twelve months, the section ceased to exist at the 

 end of 1898. 



Nearly one-half of the accessions to the library in 1895 had 

 formerly belonged to Dr. James Aitken Meigs. 30 He had served as 

 Librarian from August, 1856 to May, 1859. He died March 9, 

 1879, and his father retained possession of his books and instruments 

 until his death, when he bequeathed them to the Academy with the 

 sum of $20,000, one-half for the increase of the library and the rest 

 without restriction or condition. 



Dr. Robert H. Lamborn, 31 who died in 1895, bequeathed his 

 estate to the Academy "to be used in biological and anthropological 

 researches, the income only to be used and the principal invested." 

 Question as to the validity of the will under the New York State 

 law having been raised by the heirs-at-law, a compromise was effected 

 on the basis of one-half coming to the society and the balance to 



30 Memoir of James Aitkin Meigs, by Henry C. Chapman, M.D., Trans. 

 College of Phys. Phila., Third series, v, pp. 117-133. 



31 Biographical Notice of Robert Henry Lamborn, by Carrie S. Aaron. 

 Proc. A. N. 8. Phila^ 1901, pp. 486-490. 



