339 



are said not to have been holden with as much regularity as heretofore- 

 April, 1819, it- is said that the meetings were not held with any reg- 

 ularity : several unsuccessful attempts had been made to hire individu- 

 als to preserve the specimens; and the members had the mortification 

 of seeing a museum going to decay, that had cost them so much labor 

 and expense. But it seemed to be inevitable : they were most of them 

 engaged in professional pursuits, and, of course, could not give their 

 personal services ; and the funds were not sufficient to hire it to be 

 done. Things went on thus till March, 1820; when a meeting was 

 held to consider the expediency of disposing of the collection. The 

 members, however, agreed, that, if a subscription of $100 per an- 

 num for ten years could be obtained, they would renew their efforts. 

 This was obtained, and considerably more. An act of incorporation 

 was obtained in June, 1820; several new members were elected; the 

 formation of a library was voted expedient ; a few donations were 

 made, among which were the bones of a camel, and two specimens of 

 a cast of the famous Chinese monster, A-ke, one of which was subse- 

 quently given to the Medical College. Very few, if any, communica- 

 tions were made. In this lingering state it continued until July, 

 1822 ; when a committee was appointed to consider what could be done, 

 who reported, " that it appears, by the resignation and non-attendance 

 of members, that it has become bui'densome to support its meetings 

 and collections in the manner they have hitherto done : therefore it is 

 expedient to suspend the meetings, give up the rooms of the Society, 

 and place the collection, or such part of it as can be preserved, in 

 some place where it may occasion no further expense to the Society or 

 its contributors." It was first offered to the Athenasum, but the ti'us- 

 tees declined accejjting it ; then to the coi'poration of Harvard Col- 

 lege, who agreed to accept the unperishable specimens, and S264.29^, 

 the cash balance in the ti-easury ; to erect a building to receive them ; 

 and to grant to the members free access to the collection and to the 

 Botanic Gai'den. The perishable specimens, such as stuffed skins and 

 specimens in alcohol, were given to Mr. Greenwood, the proprietor of 

 the New-England Museum, with the right of free admission ; and were 

 sold at auction when that establishment terminated. Many of them 

 were bought by Mr. Kimball, and are still in his Museum. 



As the College failed to comply with the condition to erect a build- 

 ing, a meeting of the members accessible was called, December, 1830, 

 and the specimens, or such of them as might not have perished, 

 were reclaimed, that they might be made useful for the purposes origi- 

 nally intended ; and they were subsequently given to this Society. A 

 few empty glazed cases, or containing dilapidated monkeys and birds, 

 altogether unsuitable for our use, was all that we ever received. 



Dr. Gould closed by endeavoring, from a review of the history of 



