BOSTON SOCIETY OF NATURAL HISTORY. H 



1819. During this year the meetings were not held with any regularity. Attempts 

 were made to take charge of and preserve the specimens, but without success, and the 

 members had the mortification of seeing a museum going to decay that had cost them so 

 much labor and expense ; but it seemed inevitable. They were mostly engaged in profes- 

 sional pursuits, and of course could not give their personal services to the preservation of 

 the collection ; and the funds of the society were not sufficient to hire any one perma- 

 nently. 



1820. Things remained in this condition until March, 1820, when a meeting was called 

 for the purpose of considering the expediency of disposing of the collection. 



It was then voted, that if one hundred dollars per year could be obtained for ten years, 

 the members would renew their efforts to preserve the institution. 



In April it was reported that enough had been subscribed, and more, for the preser- 

 vation of the collection. This seemed for a time to revive hope and inspire interest. 

 Amendments were made to the Constitution, and a committee was appointed to attend to 

 the preservation of the collection. A number of new members were elected. 



In May, committees were chosen to examine and report upon the state of each depart- 

 ment of the collection, and they were expected to attend at the hall of the museum every 

 Saturday, from 3 to 6 o'clock. A committee was also appointed to petition the legisla- 

 ture for an act of incorporation ; evidence certainly of renewed hope. 



The Society became incorporated, and the first meeting under the act was held in June. 

 Dr. Jacob Bigelow was elected President. 



In August a specimen of a seal and several minerals were presented, and in October 

 there were many minerals added to the collection. In December a movement was made 

 towards the formation of a library, and in the following March (1821) rules and regula- 

 tions were adopted for it. Notwithstanding, however, these signs of activity on the part of 

 the Society, the records afford sufficient evidence of declining interest. The meetings were 

 not well attended. Immediate Members resigned as such, and were made Associate Mem- 

 bers, mainly for the reason that they could not attend to the duties of the former. 



1822. In the early part of this year there yet appeared no evidence of yielding to the 

 inevitable, and specimens, among them the bones of a camel, were received for the cab- 

 inet with satisfaction and thanks. In August, however, we find that a committee had 

 been appointed to consider upon the future disposal of the cabinet, which reported : 



" That it appears, by the resignation and non-attendance of members, that it has become 

 burdensome to individuals of the Society to support its meetings and collections as they 

 have hitherto done ; that it is expedient, therefore, to suspend its meetings and give up the 

 room of the Society, and place the collection, or such part of it as can be preserved, in 

 some place where it will occasion no further expense to the Society or its contributors ; 

 that a committee be appointed to remove it from its present location and place it in the 

 hands of any other person or persons who will afford suitable rooms for its reception, the 

 preference being always given to a scientific corporate body ; that the present funds of the 

 Society be devoted to removing, securing and enlarging the collection, at the discretion of 

 the committee." 



This committee was made permanent, with directions to appoint a Secretary, and to call 

 a meeting of the Society on the application of three members. 



