Klem — The History of Science in St. Louis. 121 



lishment in St. Louis of a museum and library for the 

 illustration and study of its various branches. 



At the second meeting of the Academy, April 21, 1856, 

 the generous offer of Dr. Charles A. Pope for the free 

 use of the Cabinet Hall and other rooms in the Dispen- 

 sary Building of the St. Louis Medical College, was 

 thankfully accepted. In Pope 's College were established 

 the first museum and library of the Academy. 



At a special meeting called by the President, August 

 4, 1856, the library, belonging to the Western Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, consisting of 120 volumes, the miner- 

 alogical and geological collection, cases and apparatus, 

 were donated to the Academy. 



During the first year of its existence the progress of 

 the Museum had been so encouraging that standing com- 

 mittees were appointed in the following subjects : — Eth- 

 nology, Comparative Anatomy, Mammalogy, Ornithol- 

 ogy, Herpetology and Ichthyology, Chemical Geology 

 and Malacology, Entomology, Botany, Palaeontology 

 and Geology, Mineralogy, Chemistry, Physics, Embry- 

 ology and Monstrosities. At the end of the second year 

 Astronomy and Meteorology were added. 



Prominent among the donors appears, again and again, 

 the name of Mr. Charles P. Chouteau, 50 who was ever 

 mindful of the Academy's needs when on his expeditions 

 into the Far West in the interests of the fur trade. At 

 one of the meetings he requested the Academy "to name 

 some naturalist to accompany him on his expedition to 

 the Upper Missouri free of expense to the society." At 

 another time we find recorded in the minutes that "nu- 

 merous mounted and preserved specimens of mammals, 

 birds, reptiles and fishes, collected on the Upper Mis- 

 souri river by the taxidermist sent by the Academy to 

 accompany Mr. Charles P. Chouteau, on the annual trip 

 of the American Fur Company's boats, were received 



eo in memoriam Charles Pierre Chouteau. Trans. Acad. Sci. St. 

 Louis. 11: xxi-xxii. 1901. 



