HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



A new arrangement was also made with the Custodian, by which he was to give his 

 undivided attention to the duties of the position through the year, with the exception of 

 five weeks between the first of May and the first of November, and three weeks between 

 the first of November and the first of May, he to have permanent assistance in the 

 Library and Museum. 



Upon application to the City Government, two police officers were detailed for duty at 

 the Museum on public days of exhibition. 



An idol obtained in purchasing other objects from Guatemala was, by vote of the Coun- 

 cil, presented to the Peabody Museum. Authority was also obtained from the Marine 

 Society by which the antiquities formerly given by that institution were transferred to the 

 same Museum. 



The Trustees of the Society, after calling attention to the greatly increased expenses of 

 the year, and mentioning the necessity arising therefrom to sell stocks to the amount of 

 $4,000 to meet indebtedness, made a.protest against such large expenditures. 



The Council voted that authors should be allowed twenty-five copies of their productions 

 from the publications of the Society, free of expense. 



From the Report of the Custodian at the annual meeting in May, and doings of the 

 Society for the year ending May, 1869, may be learned as usual much of interest. There 

 had been twenty general meetings of the Society, ten of the Section of Entomology, and 

 six of Microscopy. At the general meetings, the average attendance of members had been 

 thirty-three, of the Section of Entomology twelve, and of that of Microscopy eight. The 

 number of ladies who attended in response to the invitation of the Society, of course is not 

 included. Very few, however, availed themselves of the opportunity offered. One hundred 

 and five scientific communications had been presented by forty-nine persons, of which the 

 titles are given in the report. Five Corresponding and twenty-nine Resident Members 

 had been elected during the year. 



There had been three courses of lectures given during the winter and spring ; the first 

 by Dr. B. Joy Jeffries, consisted of four upon Optical Phenomena, the second by Mr. W. 

 H. Niles, of twelve upon the Geological History of North America, and the third by Mr. 

 Wm. T. Brigham, of twelve upon Plant Life. The first, not having been advertised and the 

 subject being of limited interest, failed to draw many hearers, the second was attended by 

 an average of sixty-six persons, the third by an audience averaging about ninety-nine per- 

 sons. The last course was in the evening, which may in part account for the greater 

 attendance. 



The Custodian dwelt with satisfaction upon the large amount of the Society's publica- 

 tions, as well he might if only their extent and value were considered, and the consequent 

 cost ignored. When, however, it is learned that what was done in this way led to an 

 excess of expenditures over receipts to the amount of thousands of dollars, and obliged the 

 Trustees of the property of the Society to encroach largely upon its capital to meet this 

 excess, one is inclined to judge there was little cause for exultation. A few years of such 

 lavish expenditure could have had but one result. 



The issue from the press of the publications of the Society had been double that of any 

 previous year, being not less than an equivalent of one thousand two hundred and twenty- 

 nine octavo pages. The twelfth volume of Proceedings begun a year previous, had 



