The Academy of Natural Sciences 9 



house on the east side of Second Street, then No. 121, near Kace 

 Street, was rented. Here the nucleus of the present library and 

 museum was formed. Each member gave something, and although 

 the "display of objects of science was calculated rather to excite 

 merriment than to procure respect" the result formed the germ of 

 the superb library and museum which have given the Academy dis- 

 tinction among scientific societies. 



On the fifteenth of August, 1812, a collection of minerals con- 

 taining about 2000 specimens, previously purchased from Dr. Sey- 

 bert for $750 by Mr. Speakman, was acquired by the society, and 

 soon after Dr. Troost delivered a course of lectures on mineralogy to 

 the members and others. It is a tradition that the necessity of dis- 

 charging the indebtedness incurred by the purchase of the Seybert 

 minerals, was a bond of union during the first year or two of struggle 

 and discouragement. 



The collections, meager as they were, soon required more room 

 and in September of the same year they were removed to apart- 

 ments in the upper part of a house on the west side of Second Street, 

 then No. 78, north of Arch. These quarters were called the Hall of 

 the Academy. So little interest had the new society enlisted that 

 at the close of its first year it consisted of but fourteen members and 

 thirty-three correspondents. 



During the following two years the museum and library in- 

 creased more rapidly. Lectures on entomology were delivered by 

 Mr. Say and on botany by Drs. Waterhouse and Barnes. 



At the beginning of 1815 increased accommodation was again 

 necessary and Mr. Gilliams built a hall on a vacant lot in the rear 

 of his father's house on the north side of Arch Street east of Second. 

 The collections were removed to it in July. The first period of 

 the Academy's existence extended from its foundation to this, the 

 first exclusive occupancy of a building. 



As far as regards the permanency and prosperity of the society 

 the most important event of these years was the election to member- 

 ship in June, 1812, of William Maclure without whose help it would 

 probably not have been possible to prolong its existence. 



In 1816, a constitution was adopted and the society was legally 

 incorporated the following year. 



At the instance mainly of Mr. Maclure the Academy decided on 

 the publication of a Journal, the first number of which was placed 

 before the meeting held May 20, 1817. The first volume was issued 



