34 HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



At one meeting, Park Benjamin presented ninety-two beautifully preserved bird-skins 

 and a box of insects, from Demerara. Josepb Coolidge, forty-five bird-skins, witb corals 

 and other objects from Bombay. John James Dixwell, one hundred and thirty-three 

 specimens of bird-skins, in perfect order, with many fishes, from the vicinity of Calcutta. 

 J. N. Reynolds, a magnificent collection of between four and five hundred bird-skins ; 

 a large collection of botanical specimens ; boxes of minerals, organic remains, and of 

 insects; a large and valuable collection of shells; skulls, fruits, and fishes, all from 

 South America, the Islands of the Pacific, and the South Shetland Islands. Dr. James 

 Jackson, a valuable Herbarium. Mr. J. S. Copley Greene, also, a valuable Herbarium. 

 Dr. F. W. Cragin, of Surinam, magnificent donations of zoological and botanical speci- 

 mens. 



Dr. D. Humphreys Storer was continually bringing forward specimens for the 

 cabinet. At one time he presented seventy specimens all carefuUy put up by him, 

 in glass bottles and labelled. To his generosity mainly was due the fact, that out 

 of one hundred and twenty species of Massachusetts fishes then known, ninety were in the 

 collection, and every described reptile of the State, with one exception. Alas, that 

 through the want of proper care in after years, nearly all these should have been 

 destroyed ! Of this more will be said hereafter. 



It would require pages to specify all the donors who enriched the cabinet by their 

 contributions ; suffice it, therefore, to mention the names of some who. were particular 

 benefactors in this way, viz., Doctors Augustus A. Gould, Amos Binney, Jr., Winslow 

 Lewis, John Flint, B. D. Greene, C. T. Jackson, J. V. C. Smith , G. C. Shattuck; Rev. F. 

 W. P. Greenwood ; Messrs. Joseph P. Couthouy, William B. Fowle, Estes Howe, Edward 

 Tuckerman, Jr., Simon E. Greene; Commodore Downes, of the United States Navy; Messrs. 

 George W. Pratt, George James Sprague, J. W. Mighels, H. T. Parker, and C. J. F. 

 Binney. 



It is impossible to state the number of specimens in all the departments of the 

 cabinet. There were of fishes three hundred and forty-four species, of which there 

 were, as has before been stated, ninety of Massachusetts waters alone, out of one hundred 

 and twenty known. Of birds, there were of mounted specimens about seventy-five, and oj 

 bird-skins not mounted, about four hundred. There had been a much larger number ol 

 the latter, but the collection had suffered from the attacks of insects. 



Of Reptiles no statement can be made excepting that already given, that the collection 

 contained every known Massachusetts species excepting one, and that had only once 

 been found within our limits. In the Mazological department there were 23 specimens. 

 In that of Comparative Anatomy many, but the number is not given. 



Of Mollusks there were over 3000 species in the collection, but whether these 

 embraced the private collection of Dr. Amos Binney, is not certain. At this time he had 

 already proffered to give the whole of his to the Society, provided other gentlemen 

 havmg collections would allow a committee to select from those species not possessed by 

 him or the Society. This was complied with afterwards, so that all in the cabinet at the 

 time soon became the property of the Society, with a great number in addition. 



