BOSTON SOCIETY OP NATURAL HISTORY. 37 



towards the purchase and preservation of specimens. We accordingly learn that $50 

 were appropriated for the department of Ornithology, $30 for that of Comparative Anat- 

 omy, and $25 for that of Botany. Moderate sums have ever since been asked for by the 

 Curators, as required in the several departments, and these have been granted when the 

 state of the finances would justify the expenditure. 



It will be remembered that Dr. Ainos Binney, Jr., had proffered his whole collection of 

 shells to the society, upon the condition that other gentlemen possessing cabinets should 

 open them to a committee, who should be allowed to select from them such species as 

 would serve towards completing the collection of the Society. At the annual 

 meeting in May of this year, the Curator of the Conchological department reported 

 that from the cabinets of Messrs. Dixwell, Greenwood, Emerson, Storer, Emmons and 

 Warren, about six hundred species had been selected, most of which were new to the 

 collection. He also reported that by the bequest of the late Simon E. Greene, his entire 

 collection of about 1200 species had come into the Society's possession. The Curator, 

 after referring to the accession of Dr. Binney's collection and that of Mr. Simon E. 

 Greene, with the additions made from compliance with the conditions of Dr. Binney's 

 gift, and by the donations received from various other parties, spoke of the cabinet of 

 shells as standing foremost of all the public collections of the New World. By the 

 reports of the other Curators for the year, it appeared that the donations to their depart- 

 ments had not been very important, except to that of Entomology. The additions to the 

 Library were numerous and valuable, some being received from the bequest of Mr. Simon 

 E. Greene and others from purchase by means of the money received from the Courtis 

 fund. 



The Treasurer reported the entire receipts for the year $1837.41 ; the entire expendi- 

 tures $1715.32; leaving a cash balance of $122.09 applicable to the purposes for which 

 the income of the Courtis Fund had been specially appropriated, viz., the increase of the 

 cabinet, the increase of the library and the publication of the Society's Journal. 



After the reading of the several reports, the President congratulated the Society on the 

 evidence furnished by them of its prosperous condition. He remarked that " the constant 

 circulation of the volumes proves the usefulness of the library and the increasing taste for 

 study and investigation on those subjects for the pursuit of which we are associated. The 

 state of the treasury shows the gratifying fact that the Society is out of debt and with a 

 considerable income annually applicable to its purposes. During the past year there have 

 been twenty-five meetings, at which seventy-five reports, written and oral, were made, 

 including the whole range of subjects embraced by the Society. Besides these, twelve 

 other written communications of interest, with letters received, have occupied the time of 

 the meetings, and afforded us the gratification of reflecting that we have not been quite 

 idle in the work we have undertaken to do." 



The following changes took place among the officers of the Society Rev. Dr. Green- 

 wood having declined to serve longer on account of ill health, Dr. Amos Binney, Jr., was 

 elected First Vice-President in his place, and Dr. Charles T. Jackson succeeded Dr. 

 Binney as Second Vice-President ; Dr. Frederick A. Eddy was chosen Recording Secre- 

 tary ; Dr. A. A. Gould, Curator of Conchology ; Thomas Bulfinch, Curator of Mineralogy 

 and Geology (State Collection) ; S. L. Abbot, Jr., Curator of Ornithology, and Thomas 

 T. Bouve, Cabinet Keeper. 



