Biological Institutions 



53 



the old Walnut Street Theatre, was seldom open, and the 

 city's youth were wont to gather in tavern and oyster house 

 to discuss the momentous events of the times. Under circum- 

 stances such as these a few young men who were interested 

 in natural history met at the home of one of their number on 

 January 25, 1812, for the organization of a society whose pur- 

 pose, according to the minutes of the meeting, should be "the 

 rational disposition of otherwise leisure moments. " Their 

 collections at this time comprised "a few insects, corals and 



THE ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA, 1912 

 From the Academy ' ' Proceedings. ' ' 



shells, a dried toad fish, and a stuffed monkey. " From this 

 primitive beginning has come the great institution which has 

 contributed, perhaps more than any other factor, to making 

 Philadelphia one of the homes, as it was the birthplace of 

 American biology. In the early years of the last century 

 Philadelphia was the Mecca of American biologists. From 

 here Alexander Wilson started on his ornithological travels. 

 Hither came Audubon, seeking support for the ' ' Birds of 

 America," and through the generosity of Edward Harris, a 

 Philadelphian, he was enabled to make his journey up the 

 Missouri River. Lucien Bonaparte, who continued the work 

 of Wilson, after the latter 's death, was for a time resident at 



