1861.] MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 11 



facility can be afforded to the students for their advancement. 

 The appointment of Mr. H. J. Clark, as* assistant professor, will 

 no doubt also add greatly to the advantages afforded to our young 

 naturalists for their special studies. 



In connection with this special instruction, I have delivered 

 two courses of public lectures ; one upon Zoology, the other upon 

 Geology. The second course has been attended not only by stu- 

 dents of the Scientific School and of the Senior Class, but also 

 by a considerable number of teachers of the public schools of 

 this vicinity ; the number of persons present amounting to nearly 

 two hundred, over one half of which were teachers. This unex- 

 pectedly large attendance is an evidence that the privilege granted 

 to the teachers of attending the lectures in the Museum, free of 

 any charge, has been welcome, and is certainly improved. 



Since the Professor of Zoology in the Lawrence Scientific 

 School is ex officio Curator of the Museum of Comparative Zo- 

 ology, it seems appropriate that I should avail myself of this 

 opportunity to state that the movement organized by your Com- 

 mittee, two years ago, when Governor Clifford was its Chairman, 

 has resulted in the organization of a distinct establishment, with a 

 special Board of Trustees, under the direction of which a new 

 building has been erected, in which all the Zoological collections 

 of the University are now safely stored, and about one half of 

 them systematically arranged and exhibited. Through the gen- 

 erosity of a large number of citizens of Boston, and the liberality 

 of the State, a fund has been raised, which, combined with the 

 income of the Gray fund, has placed the Museum upon a per- 

 manently secure foundation. A few months ago it was inaugu- 

 rated, and is now daily open to the public, from 11 o'clock, A. M. 

 to 4 p. M., Sundays and Mondays excepted ; and the great num- 

 ber of visitors availing themselves of the instruction offered them 

 in that way seems to justify the hope that it may largely con- 

 tribute to render the study of Natural History popular among us. 



L. AGASSIZ. 



