BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES 7 



At this time subscriptions to the amount of $8 [,655.00 

 were secured, the property purchased, such alterations made 

 as were necessary and January 10, I865 the new buildings were 

 occupied and the Society of Natural Sciences found itself housed 

 under the same friendly roof with the Library, the Academy of 

 Fine Arts and the Historical Society. The Society's modest 

 collections were attractively displayed, a fine portrait of its 

 President Hon. George W. Clinton, painted by L. G. Sellstedt 

 was presented to adorn the walls by the artist, who was himself 

 an active member, and by Coleman T. Robinson who showed 

 still further his warm hearted interest by contributing his own 

 collection of marine shells to form the nucleus of the large and 

 valuable conchological exhibit now owned by the Society; an 

 extensive and beautiful collection of minerals was given by Mr. 

 Charles F. Wadsworth ; new members came in, a larger interest 

 was awakened, the collections grew more rapidly and despite 

 its very limited financial resources, the scientific work accom- 

 plished from year to year amply justified the self-sacrificing 

 efforts of its friends. Many will remember the tower over the 

 St. James' Hall building and its beacon light when Judge Clinton 

 worked late at night over his scientific studies. 



During the Civil War many of those who were its founders 

 volunteered in their country's service and as its members met 

 there was often present with them the remembrance of hushed 

 voices and the thought of unreturning feet, but when those 

 years of storm and stress were over and days of peace once 

 more returned, the Society met its first great loss in the death 

 of Coleman T. Robinson who had been one of its first founders 

 and from the beginning one of its most generous friends. An 

 active business man, he was still deeply interested in scientific 

 studies and especially devoted to entomology and conchology. 

 At the time of his death he was engaged in the banking business 

 in New York City. By his will he bequeathed his library, his 

 microscope and his collections to the Society and also the sum 

 of $10,000.00 as the beginning of a permanent endowment fund. 



Accordingly on the 13th of February 1874 Dexter P. 

 Rumsey, George E. Hayes and O. H. Marshall were appointed 

 as Trustees of the Permanent Fund, then consisting of the 

 amount of Mr, Robinson's bequest together with the sum of 

 $500 accrued from ten life memberships. By slow degrees this 



