NATURALISTS' DIRECTORY. 15 



At a meeting of the Portland Society of Natural History, held July 9th, 1866, at 

 the residence of Rev. E. C. Bolles, it was voted that the undersigned be a committee 

 to make a brief statement of facts connected with the history of the Society, and 

 appeal to the friends of science everywhere for aid in this critical condition of its 

 affairs. To this Committee, or to any officer of the Society, all communications upon 

 the subject may be addressed. 



OIFVFIOHJRS 03=- TUB SOCIET^ST. OCy&g-MTITTBB. 



WM. WOOD, President. WM. WOOD, M. D. 



HENRY WILLIS, Vice President. REV. E. C. BOLLES. 



E. c. BOLLES, Secretary. CHAS. B. FULLER. 



EDW. GOULD, Treasurer. EDW. 8. MORSE. 



The collections of this Academy were partially destroyed by fire on the 

 7th of June last. The following quotation from the circular issued by the 

 Academy gives its present condition. 



"As nearly as can now be ascertained the present condition of the collection 

 and property of the Academy is as follows : 



About half the Mammals and Birds, and nearly all the Skulls, etc., will be saved ; 

 the extensive collection of Birds' eggs and nests were entirely destroyed ; Fishes and 

 .Reptiles are saved ; Insects all destroyed with the exception of the Lepidoptera 

 dried Crustacea and Echinodermata destroyed ; Shells and Fossils in great part saved. 

 Very singularly and fortunately, the alcoholic] collection, contained in about 2000 

 jars, has escaped. The Herbarium, with the exception of the series of the plants of 

 the North Pacific Expedition, is saved. The Library is greatly damaged by water 

 but most of the books will be saved by careful drying and rebinding. The plates of 

 the forthcoming volume of the Transactions, twenty in number, were much injured, 

 and some of the edition may have to be reprinted. The publication of the volume, 

 will not, however, be greatly delayed." 



We understand that the Academy will proceed at once to erect a fire- 

 proof building for their collections and library, which, we trust, will, by the 

 aid of kindred societies and friends, soon be larger than before the disaster. 



The several disasters to scientific institutions during the last year, should 

 warn all our Societies and Institutions having valuable collections and libra- 

 ries, to secure fire proof buildings for them at once.* 



HE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION FOB THE 

 ADVANCEMENT OF SCIENCE. 



The fifteenth meeting of the American Association was held at Buffalo, 

 N. Y., from August 15th to 21st. Since the commencement of the war these 

 meetings have been suspended and we are glad that they were renewed under 

 such pleasant auspices as attended this meeting, and that the citizens of 

 Buffalo so fully appreciated the value of the Society and were so cordial in 

 their entertainment of its members. 



*The collection of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York, was wholly 

 destroyed by the burning of the Academy of Music in May last. We wait for offi- 

 ial information in regard to this Society and its future movements. 



