Annual Meeting.] 2 [May 3, 



more instructive than any imperfect imitations of her ever set in 

 frames, or between the covers of books. 



To sustain this claim it is necessary to display in our rooms a 

 visual history of the world worked out with the indisputable char- 

 acters of its own products. These, while they serve to explain 

 their own rise and origin will, at the same time, and as the orig- 

 inal source of knowledge, confirm or correct all the printed 

 attempts to translate their meaning. 



Acting upon these views the Council determined to complete 

 the two collections of Mineralogy and Geology, which were the 

 most suitable for this purpose, although the contemplated expen- 

 diture was far greater than would have been considered justifiable 

 under other circumstances. 



After these collections have been finished, and their capacity 

 to do what is claimed tested, our hopes of bringing up the whole 

 Museum to the same efficient condition must rest upon the gener- 

 osity of the citizens of Boston, the existing funds of the Soci- 

 ety being wholly inadequate for that purpose. 



Microscopy. 



This department has been enriched by the acquisition of a 

 valuable collection of mounted Diatoms presented by a friend of 

 the Society, Mr. Frederick Habirshaw. It contains nearly all of 

 the common species of this group both fresh water and marine 

 and many of the rarer sj>ecies. 



Most of the slides have been prepared by Prof. Hamilton L. 

 Smith, Christian Febiger, Mr. Eulenstein and Messrs. Clere and 

 Mtiller, and all verified and indentified by Mr. Habirshaw himself 

 or by Mr. Samuel Wells. The collection contains 1577 slides, 188 

 genera and 1678 species and varieties. The excellent condition 

 of the whole is due to the labors of Mr. Samuel Wells, who has 

 revised, rearranged, and catalogued the slides. 



Mineralogy. 



A large amount of work has been done upon this collection 

 by Mr. Crosby assisted by Miss Carter. Mr. Bouve has also 

 assisted the Society, as much as his health would permit, in the 



