94 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



"His zeal, instead of cooling off, seemed constantly to be inflamed, and I never knew the 

 time when his eyes would not sparkle at the sight of a new or beautiful mineral. . . 

 In New York he met a young man who had a guard-chain made up of fine crystals of 

 gold, every one of them far better than could be found in the cabinets of Europe. He at 

 once bought the chain at a high price, and had the crystals carefully removed and added 

 to his cabinet." 



In 1849 Mr. Alger received the honorary degree of A. M. from Harvard University. 



Of Mr. Alger's personal character we know that he was a kind hearted man, a firm friend 

 and worthy Christian. He was always disposed to apologize for the short-comings and 

 faults of others, and he never spoke a hard word except of those whom he considered irre- 

 claimably vicious, and such men he loathed and did not like even to name. Francis Alger's 

 career in this world is now ended. He died in the field of his public duty. He was en- 

 gaged in the city of Washington in perfecting shrapnel to be employed in restoring the 

 union of our divided States. Exposure to cold and wet Aveather, with fatigue and neg- 

 lect of proper personal care of himself, brought on a sudden attack of congestion of the 

 lungs which terminated in typhoid pneumonia, of which he died on the 27th of November, 

 in the fifty-sixth year of his age. 



Mr. Alger's scientific writings were mostly essays upon minerals published in the Ameri- 

 can Journal of Science and Arts, in the Proceedings of the American Association for the 

 Advancement of Science, and in the Journal and Proceedings of the Boston Society of 

 Natural History. His most important work was what he modestly entitled "Alger's 

 Phillips's Mineralogy." It was an edition of Phillips's Mineralogy increased by Mr. Alger's 

 additions more than one half, the result of his labor for many years. 



The Society passed the following resolutions : 



" Resolved, That the Boston Society of Natural History has learned, with profound sor- 

 row, the death of their late associate and friend, Francis Alger, one of the founders of the 

 Society and for years an efficient Curator in the department of Mineralogy. 



" Resolved, That this Society recognizes in Mr. Alger a true lover of science, an active 

 and earnest collaborator, animated with a kindly spirit, calculated to win the friendship of 

 all who knew him, and to excite an interest in the branches of science to which he was 

 devoted." 



On December 2d, Mr. A. S. Packard, Jr., was elected Curator of Crustacea. 



1864. The new year opened auspiciously for the Society, and yet there were sufficient 

 reasons for anxiety concerning the future. Dazzled by the success which had followed their 

 endeavors to secure for themselves a structure adequate to the requirements of a great 

 institution, they but imperfectly realized the enormous expenses that necessarily attend 

 such work as that to which they were now pledged. There was imminent danger that the 

 income derivable from all sources at command would fall far short of the amount required 

 to accomplish what was now expected of them. The following extracts from the records of 

 the first meeting of the Society held January 16th, will show what reasons the members 

 had for new joy and congratulation : 



" Mr. T. T. Bouve arose to speak of the financial condition of the Society and its enlarged 

 needs in the new building, showing that the capital which had hitherto barely supported 

 the Society, would now be manifestly insufficient for its maintenance. He then read a 



