50 



HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE 



funds towards the purchase of the new building and its adaptation to the use of the Socl- 

 ety, and at a meeting in February a special vote of thanks to Dr. Shurtleff was passed for 

 the great care taken, for the time given, and for the taste and skill exhibited by him m 

 providing for the accommodation of the Society and its collections. 



At the annual meeting in May the Treasurer reported that the whole amount received 



, . $1288.96 



From general sources was .,„„^„ 



T^ 7^ ^- f A . ■ 1103.56 



From Courtis iuncl opqqQ-- 



From subscribers to building ^"^ 



m , , ■ 1 ... $29392.27 

 Total received 



That the whole amount expended was 



For general purposes $1300.35 



From Courtis fund 450.73 



Towards new building 20000.00 



For repairs and alterations 72b7.b6 



Total expended ~ ■ ^^9008.71 



Leaving a balance of cash 8383.56 



There yet remained due, — 



On the building $3000.00 



Interest 425.00 



To architects and others 1295.00 



$4720.00 

 Towards liquidation of this, subscribers to the building yet owe . 1720.00 



Leaving an amount to be provided for of $3000.00 



The Librarian reported that during the year there had been received 120 volumes, and 

 102 pamphlets and parts of volumes, most of them donations. Of the works received, 

 twelve volumes had been selected from the library of the late Hon. Judge Davis, in 

 accordance with a provision in his will; Audubon's Quadrupeds of America had been pre- 

 sented by subscribers to that work ; and other valuable publications had been the gift of 

 Alcide D'Orbigny, and Drs. Kneeland, Shurtleff and Bacon. The whole number of vol- 

 umes in the library now numbered 1260, and of pamphlets and parts of volumes there 

 were 120. 



The Curator of Mineralogy reported that of the specimens in his department eight 

 hundred only were thought worthy of a place on the shelves of the new building, where 

 they had been deposited and classified. Mr. Francis Alger had presented eighty valuable 

 specimens to the collection, and others, costing fifty dollars, had been procured by sub- 

 scription. 



The Curator of Ornithology reported thdt there had been presented eighty birds by 

 various persons during the year, and that he was ready to give from his own collection 

 one hundred more, as soon as funds could be had to mount them. A valuable collection 

 of eggs had been received. The donors to this department during the year, were 

 Major Townsend, Messrs. G. M. Dexter, E. C. Cabot, W. Sohier, Robbins and Ogden, and 

 Drs. Shurtleff, Read, Abbot and Bethune. 



