72 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



Mr. Theodore Lyman who had been its Curator, becoming Curator of Radiata ; and 

 Dr. H. R. Storer, Curator of Crustacea. 



1858. April. The President stated that a considerable sum of money had been sub- 

 scribed for the purchase and stocking of an Aquarium, and that it would be advisable to 

 appoint a Committee to attend to the matter. Accordingly Dr. Samuel Kneeland, Jr., 

 Mr. L. B. Stone, and Mr. Theodore Lyman were chosen for this purpose. 



From the record of the annual meeting in May, the following is presented : 



The Report of the Auditing Committee upon the finances, exhibited a balance due the 

 Treasurer of $2074.25. To meet this there were available assets consisting of uncol- 

 lected bills in the hands of the Collector, and a sum in the Treasurer's hands belonging to 

 the Building fund, $1306.00, leaving the Society in debt $768.25, and this providing that 

 all the uncollected debts should be paid in full. 



The Librarian reported that since the last annual meeting there had been added to the 

 Library, seventy-four bound volumes, and one hundred and five pamphlets or parts of 

 volumes, exclusive of those deposited by " A Republican Institution," of which there had 

 been forty-three bound volumes. To Dr. Benjamin D. Greene the Society was indebted 

 for some of the most valuable works that had been presented. The Librarian in pre- 

 senting his report took occasion to remark upon the small sum used for the purchase 

 of books, stating it to be far short of what the reasonable wants of the Curators required. 

 He strongly recommended that one-third of the income of the Courtis fund should be, as 

 formerly, appropriated strictly for the increase of the library. 



The Curator of Mineralogy, reported that his department had received donations during 

 the year from Dr. Chas. T. Jackson, Dr. Samuel Kneeland, Jr., Dr. Henry Bryant, 

 Mr. Thos. J. Whittemore, Mr. R. H. Eddy and Mr. S. M. Major. Those from Dr. Knee- 

 land were numerous, comprising an extensive series of minerals from the Lake Superior 

 region. That of Mr. Eddy consisted of a considerable supply of native borate of lime 

 from South America, valuable for exchanges, etc. 



The Curator of Geology reported that there had been but few additions to the collec- 

 tion under his charge during the year. The large collection belonging to the State, illus- 

 trative of its geology, and which had been for many years under the charge of the Society, 

 had been removed to the State House. This enabled him to place in sight all the 

 specimens in the department of sufficient interest for exhibition, a considerable number 

 having been previously kept in drawers for want of room in the cases. 



The Curator of Botany reported that extensive additions had been made to the Her- 

 barium during the year. By the donations of Dr. Benj. D. Greene, and the bequest of 

 the late Prof. Bailey, the number of specimens had been increased ten-fold. Dr. Greene's 

 collection had been incorporated with our own, and the two united form one of the rich- 

 est, most extensive and most valuable herbariums in the country. The bequest of 

 Prof. Bailey had made our collection of Algae the most complete of any. The Curator 

 expressed his intention to give particular attention to the plants received, to take meas- 

 ures for their preservation by poisoning every specimen, and to arrange them according 

 to their genera and species. When this work was completed, he proposed to make a de- 

 tailed report on the whole herbarium of the Society. 



